Sly Cooper: Master Of Thieves
by Agandaur
Summary: Sly and the gang have been through a lot together. But now, with the lost of their great leader, will the gang find him before a threat more bigger than any they've faced before arise. Except the foe they will face, is more closer to home, than they could have ever known. The first book in the War Amongst Thieves series. Look out for the Untold Stories too, and reviews are welcome!
1. Chapter 1

_**Chapter**** 1: A Stranger With A Favor**_

_**"Get her in the bag Dug!"-**said a muffled voice_

**_"I'm trying, she's very hard to keep from struggling. Why couldn't we just sedate or for the matter kill her Frank."-_**_said Dug with his arms full carrying their recently kidnapped prisoner._

_**"Because the boss wants her alive you dope, and you know how he gets with failure. Remember what Phil did when he forgot to check the alarms during that heist in France?"-**Frank pointed out_

*gulp***_ "Yeah, but at least he walked away alive_ right?"-**_Dug was having some trouble staying focused on the prisoner in his hands._

**_"Yeah, but the boss took everything he owned. The car, the house, those nice-" _**_Frank was cut short when there kidnapped victim started to thrash about in the quite big sack of potatoes, that, and the fact she smacked him in the jaw._

**_"Let go of me you stupid brutes! When I get out of this I'm gonna hunt you done and-"_ **-_the voice that spoke was not just any victim. She was Interpol's greatest agent Carmelita Fox, who had dropped her guard for a second when these two brutes, who were two massive wolves, grabbed her in a back ally near Interpol._

**_"Take it easy Ms. Fox. All we want is you to quit ur struggling so we can carry you off to the boss so he can-" _**_Frank was cut short when Carmelita kicked him right in his crotch._

**_"I'll carry you off to prison when I get out of here!"- _**_she yelled, although it wasn't as intimidating as she hoped, considering she was bound inside a potato sack, and could only the see the silhouette of her kidnappers. That and the fact she didn't had her shock pistol. _'What was I thinking! I knew that weasel at Interpol had been eyeing it for a while. Darn the captain for insisting I get it upgraded. When I get out of this I'll show him not to touch something that isn't his.'

_*grunt***"This is gonna take forever at this rate. Just hand me the sedative." **Dug said, holding out his arm for frank to give him the sedative._

_**"If you lay one more hand on me I'll"** everything goes black, and as the last of Ms. Fox now unconscious body was being loaded up into the black truck, all she could think about is where her kidnappers where taking her too._

* * *

**It had been nearly two months since Le Paradox had tried to change time to make himself royalty. Two months since the Cooper gang had last seen their great leader, Sly Cooper. Bentley, the brains of the group, had been searching nonstop over the two months, using every bit of the technology he had available. Murray, the brawn, had also been doing a little research of his own, taking up underworld fight clubs to question many of the brawlers if they've heard anything about him. Carmelita Fox, the cop and lover, had done her own research for Sly. When, of course, she was cracking down crime at her record-breaking pace. The gang had been worried sick over where he was, and had put all their known sources and comrades in hopes of finding him. But while they were doing their research and interrogations, an unusual amount of thefts had occurred all over Europe. Carmelita, who had been placed in charge of the thefts, had been constantly baffled by the amount of things that had been stolen, only to appear a day later, untouched and in perfect condition, each with a note left by two initials, V.C, and the cooper mask, which was something Sly always left as a calling card. Bentley, who Carmelita had used as a source of knowledge in the investigation, had been just as stumped. Both thought the calling card could be Sly, but if it was, who was this V.C he was working with. Bentley had researched the initials, and found nothing on anyone that had left them at a crime, or for that matter, had them to begin with. Carmelita had been about to head to Gangs hideout in Paris, but after she left Interpol, she was confronted by two fairly large wolves. She had left her pistol back at Interpol, under a recommendation by the Captain that it was in need of an upgrade. Her kidnappers had been ordered not to harm her and that she was wanted alive. Both, as Carmelita could tell, sounded terrified of their boss. Someone Carmelita was about to meet very soon.**

_"**Ms. Fox? Ms. Fox can you hear me?"**said a voice from inside the darkness_

**_"I can hear you." _**_She was in what seemed to be an office building that had a direct view at the Eiffel Tower. It was filled with a variety of artifacts dating from early Egypt to present day. She was bound to what seemed to be a leather chair, one with wheels it seemed, seeing as how she noticed marks in the floor where her kidnappers tried to bring her in but her heels kept scratching the hardwood floor. The room seemed to have one light on, though she could tell it had several that had been on before due to the faint glow from the bulbs. The room seemed to be a mix of black and red, the walls and the furniture a terrible blood-red, the floors and the wood furniture a deep black. As her eyes began to adjust, she noticed a faint silhouette near the window overlooking the Eiffel Tower. From what she could tell, he was tall, and seemed to have some muscle underneath what looked like a black and blue business suit. His faced was concealed by the darkness, but from what she could tell, the eyes were a dark blue, and his mouth looked to up in a cocky smile, as if he already won something. She would see he never would get the chance. **"Do **_**_you know who you've just taken."_**

**_"I do, which is why I am trying to make this brief, if you will let me of course."_**_ - he moved away from the window, still hiding in the shadows from the one bulb._

**_"And why should I do_ that?" **'Whatever it is this guy wants he will certainly pay for this act of criminal activity. No one kidnaps Carmelita Fox and gets away with it.'

**_"Because I realize you are looking for an old friend of yours. Or, more of an old lover I should__ say."_** _He was now heading towards his desk in front of the window, a black desk with what looked like a computer, footnotes on several folders, a few pens lying here and there, and what looked to be a blood-red leather chair._

**"What?!"**

**_"A criminal, or more of a master thief, by the name of Sly Cooper."_ **_Now he was sitting in his comfy chair, both arms propped up like he was awaiting what Carmelita's reaction would be to this little piece of information._

**_"...Cooper has been missing for nearly two months now. Why would I be searching for him?" _'**How does he know about Cooper and me?! We were only together for a few months, we didn't make ourselves known that much. Sly...no, stay focused Carmelita, stay focused.'

**_"Ms. Fox, I know about the...relationship you have with Sly. I know about how he helped you when Constable Niela framed you for helping them in India. I know about how he helped after Le Paradox sent you back in time. I know about what went on in the Krack-Korov Volcano. I even know about the 'amnesia'." _**_'He was now picking up one of the folders on his desk. It was colored in a white and red fashion, and had in red bold letters RESTRICTED on the front. He removed one of the notes on it, throwing underneath his desk to some trashcan she couldn't see._

**_"How? No one has access to that. I never put them in my reports."_** 'Someone must be feeding information out to this guy. When I find them I'm gonna-

**_"Lock them up in a prison cell, put a few rounds in them. Ms. fox, undercover agents are so useless nowadays. All the information I need is online. True, your Interpol is very good at locking up such matters, but it's useless, cause while I can't follow your progress in your line of work, though I assure I have more than I need if I wanted to too, I can follow Sly's in his." _**_Now he opened up the folder and pulled out a photo of... Sly and Carmelita on the Eiffel Tower! They were kissing while the New Year celebration was going on behind them. He shows it to her and gently pushes it so she can see it in the light, all the while leaving his face in the shadows. He closed the folder and put it right back in on top, as if expecting he'll need it again. _

'That was the night me and Sly went to the Tower for New Year's, but their were no photographers there, how did he get this?'_ She looks up at her now deemed enemy hosts, showing her rage as she tries to stare him down in the dark_.**_"...Who__ are you?"_**

**_"You know my family, but you do not know me. Not yet anyway. But enough of our side tracking. You, as well as Cooper's friends, have been searching for him for two months now and with no success. What if I told you I did. And, what if I told you I could give what you need to find him too."_** _He then opened one of the drawers on the right of his desk, locked from what it sounded like as she heard the sound of something click and slide open. He then pulled out something bundled up in what looked like an old gray cloth._

**_"You better not be pulling some kind of joke here."_**

**_"I assure you, I am very much not. Sly is to important, to you, to his friends, and to me. His role in this world is not yet fulfilled, not yet that is. He is more important than many realize in fact, on both sides of the law. Now, the key to finding Sly lies not in his whereabouts, but in his blood."_ **_He then placed the bundle on the desk, just in reach of the light so she can see as he opened it with black leather gloves, most likely to conceal his fur and leave no thumbprints. What Carmelita saw sent a shiver down her spine. It was a compass, but not the sort you would find in a store. It looked to be covered in a black case, with scratches and edges that seemed to have broken off as time went on. The dial in the middle was a miniature copy of what looked like the Cooper Cane, the weapon Sly and his family had used throughout time. But that was not what scarred her. Beneath the dial seemed to be a drop of blood, dark red and seemingly stained from a long time of use. As she looked at it, Carmelita could see the faces of Sly's ancestors in it._

**_"What is this?"_**

**_"How do you think Clockwerk was able to find the Cooper's throughout time. By using a tracker designed for only them, and those with the Cooper blood. I just so happen to have a copy of said tracker right here. This tracker carries the blood of the very first Cooper in existence, and as such, can track any of them down. I have always hated keeping it, knowing the bloodshed it has caused in the past, but also knowing that in my hands it would be safe from those that would exploit it. I will to give it to you and Sly's friends to find him. But for a price. When you are done with it, you are more than welcome to destroy it."_ **_He now leaned back in his chair, not getting comfy enough to not want to get up, but enough to be comfortable, awaiting the answer._

**_"Sly and his friends will never buy it, they know something like this would only be used by criminal scum like you. And nor will I!"_ **_With that, Carmelita stood straight up in her chair, or at least as much as she could, looking back like her old lawful self, in all her pride and greatness._

**_"Why, Ms. Fox, I am no such thing. I am more of a renegade, you see. I neither help crime nor do I help the police. At times I will give either side, a mere push, if you will, to their goals. In fact, if it weren't for my interference, many of the feats. yourself and the Cooper's have done would never had been possible."_**

**_"What?!"_**

**_"Ah, that is a discussion for another day. For now, let me just explain my bargain. I give you what you, Bentley, Murray, and all of Sly's friends need to find him. And in return, all I ask is that, after you've all had your happy reunions and celebrations, you send him...to me."_**

**_"Sly would never do it. He's smart enough to know that you could be planning a trap for him. Or even kill him"_**

**_"Normally, yes, you would be right. But if I wanted to plan a trap on Sly, wouldn't I have already done it? I more than have what I need to do it, and as I've already said, I can find him anywhere on the planet, anytime, anywhere. No, I have a strong feeling he'll want to meet me Ms. Fox."_**

**_"And why is that. I've never even heard of you or your so-called family."_**

**_"Two words, Ms. Fox. Connor Cooper."_**

'Connor Cooper? How could anyone know about him? Bentley erased all evidence of Sly's past from Interpol during one of their earliest break in jobs. How could anyone know about him?' _**"How do you know that name? Who are you?"**_

Right then, the same guards that kidnapped Carmelita came in, each grabbing a side of the chair she was in, and started to take her out.

_**"Let go of me you punks! Who are you! How do you know Sly's father!"**_

Try as she might, Carmelita couldn't break free of her bonds. As she was being moved out of the door, her mysterious hosts swiveled around his chair, looking out over Paris as if there meeting never happened. But as she was hauled out the door, she could've sworn, for a split second, right before her mysterious hosts turned around, she saw what looked like a black and white ringtail.


	2. Chapter 2

**_Chapter 2: Under the Sun_**

_All he remembered was being trapped on the edge of that blimp, unsure of how he was going to survive. That was only moments ago, but in fact, it was nearly 3000 years in the future. All he knew was that he had to find a way to contact his friends, Bentley and Murray, as well as his girlfriend Carmelita, who would probably be worried sick about him, even if she won't show it. All he knew was that he had to make sure Le Paradox was behind bars, if he survived that fall though. All he knew, was that he had to get out of this god-forsaken desert._

_**"I really outta carry a water bottle more often."**-Sly said, now sitting atop the sphinx he had been so kindly, for who knows what, placed next too. What he found quite odd though, was that many of it's structure seemed to be new, almost as if it was constructed yesterday. From what he could remember from Bentley as he talked about ancient wonder of the world, it was built by some egyptian pharaoh, why, he never listened that far. However, he was getting tired of sitting upon this enormous cat for an hour now, so, using the same skills he has always used before, he slid down it's back and landed with ease on the dunes he had come to hate._

**_"_**_*sigh* **I guess I better start walking again. Maybe the inside of the sphinx could provide something I could use to contact the others."**_

_As Sly began to make his way around to the front of the sphinx, he couldn't help but think back on on his childhood._

* * *

_He remembered sitting on his Dad's lap, listening to him as he explained about something involving a museum robbery heist in France, how dumbstruck the guards were to find there treasures gone, and how his old gang celebrated with a batch of nachos at some Mexican restaurant. So sad that would be the last story he would ever hear from his father, cause while he was explaining how they had infiltrated the museum, there was a knock at the door. Sly's dad told Sly that it may be safer if he was out of the room for this, and as Sly left, he saw his Dad's mysterious guests. There were five of them, each meaner than the other, and all looked at his dad with anger and hate. Before Sly new it, the five burst into the house, the biggest, what looked like a bulldog gone to the gym to much, had picked his father up by the collar. Sly ran to the safest place he could find, his dad's office, and closed the door enough to see what was going on without being seen. His dad had been trying to break free of the bull dog's grip, but he was too strong to do it. The five ransacked his house, one of them, a panda from the looks of it, had his mom in one arm, and a safe in the other. The meanest, a owl that looked to be made not of fur, but machine, had the two brutes lay his parents down in front of him._

_**"Clockwerk." **Sly's father was placed at the knees, or talons as what he seemed to have, of the big mechanical bird. He looked up to face the enemy his family had been hunted by for centuries, knowing that he may never get the chance to stand up to face this bane again._

_**"Cooper. For centuries, you Coopers have hid your secrets and hogged all the glory that should have been mine. Now, not only will I eliminate the last Cooper thief and his wife, but I will take your dear Thievius Raccoonous and use it to rid the world of Cooper history."** Sly remembered his father talking about something that used to hunt the Cooper gang, but he always told Sly it was just a bedtime story to keep Coopers from doing bad things. How he wished it was._

_**"You'll never win. And I won't let you!" **With that, Sly's father sprang from the floor, headbutting Clockwerk as he went. The big Bulldog reached out to grab him by the collar again, but he was ready this time. He ducked right when he was close, then dashed underneath his arm, delivering a brutal punch to the gut as he went. The panda had been about to punch him, but in doing so, dropped the safe and Sly's mother, giving her a chance to trip him as he was rushing to catch the thief. The panda rolled and slammed into the other two members, both surprised at how quick the thief was. Sly's father then rushed to the safe, while his wife did her best to distract them from him. But it was not enough, once he had opened the safe, he was yanked back by the bulldog again, this time with a slightly queasy look from the gut punch._

_**"Stupid Coopers. Ever last one of you had tried to fight your way out of me, and every last one of you failed. And now, so will you."**Clockwerk said, now with a slightly bent beak from his father._

_What happened next Sly always tried to block out, but never forgot the scream his mom yelled when Clockwerk killed his father. Sly had tried his best to cover the sound Clockwerk made when he ended her life too. It never worked. Soon after, the five had opened the vault and retrieved what they came for. The Thievius Raccoonus. Sly watched as the five tore it apart piece by pice, each getting their own part of the book and it's treasures. As each member started to leave, the last one, the one his father called Clockwerk, had turned around to acknowledge his work...and stared directly at Sly._

* * *

_By now, Sly had made his way to the front of the sphinx. He had always wondered why anyone would build a giant cat made of stone for one guy, but what surprised him wasn't the fact it was a cat. It was a jackal, something he remembered Bentley said was very important to the Egyptian's religion. Except, they never built a giant jackal made of stone. Something was definitely wrong._

_**"Ah, I swear, if it's another of one of Le Paradox's goons, I'm gonna have to have words with him on architecture."**_

_With nothing left to do but enter the sphinx and see what was going on, Sly entered the tomb._


	3. Chapter 3

_**Chapter **__**3: Coming Together**_

_Carmelita woke up at home on her bed in her penthouse across Paris. To her surprise, she was dressed in her usual pajamas (which showed several police badges and handcuffs on them), and had found her usual clothes hung up where they usually were on her bedroom door. She had looked around the room for any sign or evidence of her kidnappers, but saw everything how it was the day before._

**_"Could it have possibly been a dream?"_**_-she wondered, although knew too well that it felt far too real to be one._

_She got up out of her bed, looking around a again to see if there really was any sign of her kidnappers. Again, she found no sign of anything. She got up and went to her bathroom, hoping to freshen up before she had to get back to Interpol, who she was really going to go berserk on for leaving her unarmed through the night. After she had finished, she walked to her kitchen, hoping to brew some coffee, if she still had some, considering her last commissary run was nearly 2 weeks ago because of all her cracking down on crime. Thankfully, she did, though she would need to remember to make a note that it was already near the bottom of the cup. She baked some eggs and bacon, not feeling that hungry after last night. As she walked to the dinning table though, she saw something she know wasn't there yesterday. It was a note, and a compass. To her surprise she dropped her cup of coffee, and as it shattered on the floor, she saw the initials of who left the note. V.C._

** Ms. Fox,**

** You must realize now that your late night experience was no dream, and know that I am very real. As before, my offer still stands, should you wish to use the gift I have so graciously given you. As before, it is yours and Cooper's friends decision to do so, and as before, destroy it if you like. But know that should you choose not too, your effort's will have tripled in trying to find him. I hope that this humble gift may come of use for you, oh, and remember our agreement if you do so. Remember, I have eyes and ears everywhere.**

** -V.C**

_Carmelita then knew she had to make a phone call to a very small, but very intelligent, turtle._

* * *

**_"So, let me get this straight. Some stranger kidnapped you, _****_whom of which any of us have never heard of, _**sedated you, told you how he knows everything about you, then gave a gift, then not only dragged you out of his office, but broke into your home and made it seem like it was all a dream, and you want to trust him?!"-_Bentley stated with a deep breath after._

_After she read the note, Carmelita called Bentley and Murray to get to her place immediately so they can discuss their decision on the matter. What she could't account for, however, was their reaction to the matter, or what they think it all meant._

**_"If we have a chance to find Sly, should't we take it?" _**_-Murray, who had been the last to arrive, having come from all the way over from America from following up a lead on some guy who had been robbing people's pockets using a cane. Naturally, he was a little tired and sweaty to get here to hear about this way to find Sly._

_**"We don't know what this guy wants with Sly." **Bentley pointed out, who had been working undercover at Interpol to find these thefts that had been occuring all over Europe. He had been studying the compass, hoping to figure out what and where it was created. **"Beside, we don't even know what this compass does, or for that matter, even works."**_

_**"He said it had the ability to track Coopers through there blood. What we should be worried about is how we get it to find Sly's though."** -Carmelita, now dressed in her normal Interpol outfit, had been reviewing the note, and had been constantly trying to get them to agree to V.C's, as that's what they started to call him now, conditions._

**_"Well, why don't we just find this V.C and put a few punches in him. That will get him to talk." _**_-Murray slammed his fists together to emphasis his point._

**_"To do that Murray, we would have to know where he was first."_**_-Bentley said, now pulling up a 3D model of the compass he had scanned while they were talking. **"Interesting. This compass shows that this cane in the middle is an exact copy of Slytunkhamen Cooper's, who existed nearly 3000 years ago. Upon further analysis of the gold he used, it appears to be around the same era as well."**__  
_

_**"You think that was a clue he left for us to use?" **-Carmelita asked, though from the way V.C had described the compass, it could very well be because that was around the same era the Thievius Raccoonus was made. _

**_"Possibly, but it would seem strange to have a Cooper cane from that era be the dial, considering we now know that the Cooper blood goes much farther back than that. Nonetheless, it's still are only lead to find Sly."_**_-Bentley, who had now gotten rid of the compass diagram, was staring furiously at the compass, knowing that it may be there key to finding Sly, but also knowing it was given to them by someone they couldn't trust. **"As much as I hate to say it, it may be our only shot at finding Sly."**_

_**"So were going to trust this V.C on this?****" **-Murray asked, though looking a bit sad knowing he couldn't put a few punches into this V.C._

_**"If it's the best chance we have at finding Sly Murray, then we'll have too." **-Bentley responded, putting the compass in one of his coat pockets.  
_

_With their the decision made, the gang left Carmelita's penthouse in hopes of using Bentley's time machine to find Sly in whatever period this compass was made in. Little did they know they were being watched from several rooftops down by someone coated in black and red robes. The figure, who's faced was masked in a hood and cloak, had been watching their conversation for the past few minutes. Upon seeing that they were finished, he then packed his binocucom, contacted his crew he was coming home, then dashed off into the night, without so much as a whisper of his presents._


	4. Chapter 4

_**Chapter**** 4: The Problem With Tombs**_

_Sly had been finding his way through the tomb for about three hour now. As he continued through it, he found that many of the hieroglyphics and pictures on the wall were actually getting younger and more unfinished, as if the painter who made them had been taking lots of breaks when he had the chance. He also found no evidence of any cobwebs or for that matter, spiders, like the tomb was just finished being made and had was still inhabited. He did, however, find numerous amounts of scorpions and beetles, which he took care of with his trusty cane. As he continued through the tomb, he noticed a lot of pictures of what looked crocodiles armed with guns coming and taking over palaces and villages, with many of the people bowing to them, probably because they've never seen such technology. He also kept seeing the same jackal guy from the front of the sphinx, first leading the crocodile soldiers, then being crowned what he guessed was a pharaoh, then being carried through the streets on the shoulders of the same crocodiles that arrived. _

**_"Talk about your average wanna be king."_**_Sly said, starting to lose his patience of seeing this guy mounted up on nearly every wall. _

_He was starting to get a little tired though, having bashed his way through the scorpions and beetles, and going through what seemed like endless halls of pictures and numerous __hieroglyphics, whom he couldn't even read to pass the time. He was surprised he hadn't seen any traps yet, after all the movies and games he and the gang had played that involved tombs and raiding treasure, surly there would have been at least one. As he continued through the tomb, he started to feel what felt like a breeze coming through the halls. Hoping he might find a way out, Sly started to run, having forgot how tired he was from all the walking and fighting. When he reached where the breeze was coming from, he was surprised to not find a way out, but a tomb, and in the middle, a sarcophagus._

**___"Well great, if it's not something that isn't pictures or bugs, it's a coffin with-" _**___-Sly was cut short when he saw what surrounded and laid in the tomb._

___Treasure, each more fabulous than the last. He saw golden cat statues with rubies for eyes. He could see piles of solid gold coins that must be several meters high. He could see that even the walls were made of solid gold, enriched with what looked like diamonds, rubies, and many other gems and jewels he couldn't name. But what caught his attention wasn't the solid gold walls or the many statues with gems for eyes. In the center of the coffin, atop the many diamonds and gold coins that it lay on top of, lay two canes._

___**"Those canes. They look like the same ones used by Slytunkhamen I, but what are they doing in a place like this? They were supposed to be in the Cooper Vault, not here. And why would he have so many pictures of that jackal headed guy and his army throughout this tomb?" **Sly had so many questions, all of which he couldn't find an answer.  
_

___As Sly approached the ____sarcophagus, Sly kept wondering how anyone, even more a Cooper, could bring all this treasure into a place like this and not get caught. As he looked over the two canes, he could see they were indeed Slytunkhamen's, but he also noticed something else. Looking at the outside of the sarcophagus, Sly could see that it was not written in ancient Egyptian, but present day English. As he looked at the writing, he began to say it out-loud._

**_______"Here will lie Samas, the greatest pharaoh Egypt has ever seen. On top of this sarcophagus lies his greatest feat, the canes of Slytunkhamen I, master thief and traitorous pharaoh of Egypt. Wait, what!" _**_______Sly had stopped reading the pharaohs achievements, which were about ten more paragraphs in now ancient Egyptian. If this guy Samas had taken Slytunkhamen's canes, then that would mean he would be..no, that hasn't been confirmed yet. Sly knew he had to get these back to Slytunkhamen, if he was still around._

_______But first he had to figure out a way to get them without setting any traps off, cause if you could never find any on the way in, there were always some on the way out. First he would need something of equal weight, or the closest he could find. Sly saw that in one of the treasure mounds lied two swords. Those would do. He picked them up and came back to the coffin. The problem would be to get both the canes off and putting both the swords on at once. He figured he would have to slide the canes off and then slide the swords in place. Getting both the swords arranged like the canes were, across each other, he counted to three. One. Two. Three. As quick as he could he slid the canes off, clattering to the floor as they did, and replaced them with the swords. He wiped the sweat from his brow, knowing that could have gone very bad if he hadn't done it correctly. He walked around the coffin, picked up the canes, and started walking back out of the tomb. But as he was leaving the tomb, he heard the sound of a misplaced coin, clattering to the floor, then silence._

**_______"_**_______*sigh* **I guess I lucked out." **Sly then continued walking away from the tomb, when he heard the sound of what sounded like water drops. Curious he turned around back at the burial room, and started to see it beginning to flood!_

**_______"Just my luck!" _**_______Sly started running at a dead sprint, knowing any moment that room was gonna fill then start flooding down the corridor. He didn't get far._

_______All of sudden, a loud boom filled the tunnel, as well as the hint of saltwater. Sly turned around to see what was happening, only to be faced with a mouthful of water. The burial chamber had been connected to an underground lake, and now all of it was spilling through the tomb. Sly had tried to stay afloat from the barrage of water, which was speeding him along the tunnels, but was having a hard time with his cane and Slytunkhamen's in both his arms. He tried to look for anything that could help him, and saw the sarcophagus speeding along right next to him. _

'It's know surfboard, but it will have to do.' _Sly swam over to the coffin, chucked both his cane and Slytunkhamen's inside, and climbed on in. The water was now filling up the halls of the tomb in seconds now, and going at nearly 20mph. Sly knew this was way more faster than coming in. As he continued to steer and paddle the boat from the oncoming treasure and bugs, he turned around only to see the same swords he had replaced the canes coming right at him._

**_"Really?! This is just not my day is it!" _**_Sly paddled his way around the upcoming wreckage, maneuvering away from the swords, who refused to let up on their target.__  
_

_Soon Sly could see light up ahead, as well as feel the swords right up on the back of his neck. Ducking down into the coffin, Sly grabbed the canes, and prepared for the daylight, covering his head to prevent any harm up there. As he was nearing the end, the coffin suddenly flipped over, sending Sly into the torrent of water. As he was getting thrashed about by the tight corridor and the water, he suddenly felt the heat of the sun on him. Soon he was lying on hot sand, surrounded by wet sand and gold coins. As he opened his eyes to see his success, he was met by three crocodiles, the same one's he had seen on the pictures, and a jackal. _

**_"Sly_**_** Cooper?"** the jackal asked._

**_"If you don't mind, I'm trying to get a tan here." _**_Sly responded, though he couldn't actually see the sun since one of the crocodiles was blocking it from his view._

**_"Funny. Do you know what you just did? You just made three months of progress go right out the window! Plus, you now have all the treasure from MY burial room scattered all across this blazing desert." _**_The jackal, now looking very angry, was picking up some of the gold coins that had been scattered around Sly._

_**"Seemed like one month of work and a pretty small pile of treasure to me." **Sly was now looking around for his and Slytunkhamen's canes, which were nowhere in sight._

_**"***deep growl* **I'll make you pay for this. Men, secure him. We'll see how funny he'll be after a few weeks in the darkness of the mines. Mwa hahaha!"**  
_


	5. Chapter 5

_I would like to point out before I go any further in this story that the name, title, and cover picture may or may not be the actual thing for the fifth Sly copper to come out. I would also like to say that I'm quite oblivious to spelling and grammar checks in my stories, and it would help fellow readers if those that read these stories point them out for me to fix. Also, I am in know way connected to Sanzaru Games and Sony Computer Entertainment, and that I had titled this story Before I had any idea that the next one may or may not be of the same title and/or cover picture. Again, I have not written, at least I don't think I have written, anything from the upcoming game. Now you know, so let's continue._

* * *

_** Chapter 5: On The Trail**_

_After the gang had agreed to use the compass V.C had provided, they traveled to Bentley's hideout on Kaine Island, reformed and remade into the Cooper gang's own private sanctuary. Bentley had explained how he had been keeping track of Sly's ancestors after there previous adventure, in case someone had wanted to sabotage the cooper line again. He also kept talking about keeping track of the time stream in case some nut-job wanted to make a name for himself like Le Paradox. As the group passed by all the tech and machines Bentley had been making, Carmelita asked if he had heard anything from their ex-gang member Penelope. With a sigh, Bentley had said he had found nothing, though he had tried to keep a watch out for anything that could have been her, he did however keep receiving postcards by someone with the imprint of a mouse, as well as the words "from P". After awhile of exploring and finding there way around, The gang had arrived at where Bentley had stored the time machine from there last adventure. _

**_"Never thought I would need to use this again, though I always suspected that Sly was trapped somewhere in time since we couldn't find him in present day."_**_ Bentley started to type in his computer, shutting down the security field and weapons guarding the time machine, in case someone tried to rob it. As he was typing, Murray had asked Bentley what he had done with the Theivius Raccoonus, since he didn't see it on there tour of the place. Bentley explained that he had kept in a place only he would know, in case some other master thief wanted to steal the pages for his own use. After he finished typing in the codes to the security system, Bentley asked Murray to load it back up in their old van. Carmelita, who had been sitting on the sidelines during al of this, asked Bentley if he had anything on V.C again. _

**_"As of recently, we had know clue or idea who he could have been. But thanks to previous events, we now know that he must incredibly wealthy to have access to the kind of security and information you had found Carmelita. We also know that he must have some clear view of Paris, since you said he could see the entire tower as well as all of Paris that surrounded it. As of where he acquired such wealth and power, I do not know yet." _**_Bentley had been looking more at the compass in his 3D diagram to try and figure out an exact time it had been made or where the gold originated from. **"It appears this gold was indeed made in the same time period as Sly's ancestor Slytunkhamun I. So we'll need to set the date to around three-thousand years back into the past. Murray, did you get that?"**_

_**"Sure thing Bentley. Just let me **_***grunt* _finish hooking this thing _*more grunts* _up. There we go. What was the time__ again?"_**_Murray, who was now sitting in the back of the van with a sweaty forehead, was trying his best not to gorge on the extra food in the back of the van._

**_"Oh, never mind just get in the van." _**_With that, Bentley and Carmelita had climbed in, Bentley in the drivers seat, Carmelita in passenger. **"Lets see, set the time coordinates to three-thousand years into the past, check. Input relic from that time, check. Okay, are we all ready?"**_

_**'The faster we find ringtail, the faster I can give him payback for two months of no stop worry." **Carmelita, cocking her shock pistol, acknowledged._

**_"Um, okay then. Initiating start up sequence. Countdown ready to time warp. Three. Two. One!"_**_ Nothing happened._

**_"Hmm, maybe I didn't calibrate-" _**_PHEW! The van was sent through time, the gang now feeling like they were being launched from a rocket, with the queasy stomach and all. In just a few seconds, they had arrived at the front of a sphinx, though they could see it was actually a jackal rather than a sphinx._

_"*gulp***Now I remember why I had always hated spending time with you Cooper gang. Always leaving me with a queasy stomach." **Carmelita, who was the first to drop out of the van with her hand at her mouth, was the first to see they were not alone. All around them they could see piles of treasure and gems, many of which were covered in sand and water from the looks of it. She also saw that there were nearly fifty crocodile soldiers picking up what was left of the pieces. What caught her eye though wasn't the massive piles of treasure or the soldiers, but on top of one of the piles lay three canes. One of which belonged to Sly._**_"Bentley, that's Sly's cane on top of that treasure pile over there. I'm gonna go get it, as well as the two other that are under neath it."_**

**_"Carmelita wait! We can't just-" _**_Too late. She was already storming down the sand dunes. **"Gah, Murray, I guess while she's getting those, we'll see what we can find out what happened here, as well as where Sly could have gone. Let's see if one of these guards is willing to talk."**_

_Carmelita, who had already reached the first pile of treasure, was hiding behind one of the mounds, pistol ready. She saw that the canes lay on top of one of the piles five mounds down. She knew she would need to use these piles as cover to hide from the guards. Crouching down, she used the cover of the treasure, which were piled a good six feet high, as a means to move to through the pile. As she was moving along, she couldn't help but admire the many jewels and coins that lay in the piles. '_All the times Sly said he loved me and had robbed countless banks and museums, and he couldn't once find the time to get me something as nice as these. Ringtail, when I find you, I swear I'm gonna-' _Being unaware, Carmelita had stumbled over a small pile of coins, causing a slight crash to come from them as they slid on top of one another._

**_"What was that?" _**_She heard three guards cay, two of which she could here making there way around the piles, coming to the misplaced crash, and for her._

* * *

_Bentley and Murray had been busy trying to find a guard who they thought could know what had happened here, as well as where Sly went. They spotted what looked like the leader of the soldiers, an albino crocodile who looked like he had watched way to many war movies. He had a bulletproof vest, a thick layer of what looked like camouflaged shorts, and a hard hat on his head. Bentley told Murray his plan. He would stay up on the dunes, monitoring Murray as he would use the cover of the dunes and treasure piles to sneak his way over to where the captain was posted. When he would be close enough, Bentley would fire a sleep dart at the crocodile, knocking him out so Murray could grab him and bring him back to Bentley for questioning. Murray, happy to be part of a plan with Bentley after so long, was happy to oblige. Unfortunately, Murray's immense size and pink color would attract the guards quick if they saw. Bentley, who had a plan for that too, asked Murray to roll around in the sand for a few minutes. With him covered in sand, this would hide his pinkness, and should guards get to close, he could simply lie in the sand and look like a sand dune. It was perfect!_

_As Murray began the slide down the sand to get to the first pile, he kept checking in on Bentley to make sure the the coast was clear. When he got to the first dune, Murray had peeked around the corner to see how far the captain was. He looked to be only a few meters away, however, there were about fifteen guards between him and the captain. _

**_"__Murray,__ you can lure the attention of the guards if make noise in the gold piles. Be careful, if they get too close before you have blended into the sand, they'll spot you, and this mission as well as finding Sly is good as dead." _**_Bentley called in, watching Murray's situation on top of the dune near the van._

_With this knew piece of information, Murray slammed his fists into the first pile of gold, causing all kinds of noise._

**_"Who goes there! You five, check that out." _**_He heard the captain yell, and with the first five guards on there way over, Murray fell into the sand, blending in perfectly. _

_He heard them pass him as they were heading to the mound, as they did, Murray quietly crawled to the next pile of gold, ready to repeat the same thing._

* * *

_Carmelita had buried herself in the pile of gold, hoping that the coming guards wouldn't see her. Lucky, they just passed by her without a moments hesitation. Checking that the coast was clear, she then slowly came out of the pile, trying to make the least amount of noise as possible. She continued crawling to the pile with Sly's cane on it, hiding in the gold piles when guards came too close, and crouching when she needed to move between them. Soon she had reached the pile, now all she had to do was climb up it without alerting the guards attention. Carefully, she used the statues that had been buried underneath all the gems and coins as footholds, making her way up as she went. Soon she had reached the top, grabbed Sly's cane and his ancestor's, and had scaled down the pile. Now she just needed to make it back without alerting them again. This time, rather do it all stealthily, she had armed her shock pistol, and thought she would make it easier by shooting the pile the canes were on, which just so happened to be the biggest. Firing her pistol, the pile crashed down in the dunes, alerting every guard over here. Quickly, she started to run back to the gang's van, hoping the loud noise would atract the guards and not have to worry about her. Luckily it worked for her, but not so much for Murray._

* * *

_Murray had been about to get the captain, who Bentley was ready to fire at with a sleep dart, when suddenly the sound of a shock pistol and hundreds of coins and gems falling filled the air._

**_"All guards, investigate the sound of that disturbance! We may just have some action yet boys!" _**_Acting quickly, Bentley shot his sleep dart at the captain, who was alert now, and as such, slowed him down as well as give him a drowsy feeling. **"Whow, what the heck is going on." **Acting quickly, Murray grabbed the captain by the legs, dragging him off the stand he had been standing on. **"What the! Who are you-"** Murray quickly knocked him out with a punch to the head. Hauling him over his shoulders, Murray ran back to the gang, hopefully not to encounter any other guards along the way. He didn't thankfully._

* * *

_ With the captain now with them, the gang had been ever so kind as to wake him up with a few slaps to the face, courteously of Murray._

**"What the! Who are you people?" **_He asked, though he tried to struggle out of the bonds Carmelita had fashioned around him in his sleep. He had no success._

**_"Who we are won't__ matter."_**_ Said Carmelita, who Bentley thought would love the chance to do this since she was still rather queasy from the time warp.__** "What we'll do to you if you don't tell us who these belong too-"** __She held up the canes in front of the captains face __**"-is what you should worried about."  
**_

**_"Hah, I'm not scared of some Interpol agent. Even more a lady Interpol agent. Your gonna need to try a lot harder if you wanna interrogate me toots." _**_The captain then spit on Carmelita's brand new boots, laughing at how foolish she looked._

_Now, he really made Carmelita mad, and as we all know, you never want to do that. She lifted her foot then shoved her heel right where the captains neck would be. **"Listen you big headed fool. Normally, I'm prevented from harming criminal scum like you because of my superiors and there laws against thugs. But there not here now are they? So, you better tell me before I count to three, or the last thing your going to see is my pistol as I pull the trigger before your very eyes. And I doubt someone as pale as you likes having to scrub off all the filth and grime that gets on his pale skin. Wonder how hard hard it would be with blood, hm? Now, one-" **She took her foot of his neck, as well as pull out her shock pistol, **"two-" **now she was taking off the safety in her pistol, and aiming it right at the captain's face. **"Thr-"**  
_

_**"His name is Sly Cooper okay! The boss was going to take him to his mines in Cairo alright! Talked about how he was gonna pay for this mess here. I don't know who's canes those two others belong too, but I remember the boss spoke of some guy he had been having immense trouble with. Said he was related to him or somethin alright!" **The captain, now very scared knowing his boss was gonna kill him for spilling out this information, had balled up into ball, awaiting Carmelita's decision on the matter._

_**"Thank you, you have been very helpful." **With that, she smacked the captains head with the back of her gun, knocking him out cold. **"Well, now we know where Sly is. Who's up for a trip to Cairo?" **Bentley and Murray, both a little bit shocked and scarred at the act that was before them, were quite frightened by this little interrogation. **"What, this? This was something I learned when I was still in law school. Wait till you see what I learned on the force. That's a show! Come on, I'll drive." **And with that, she hopped into the driver's seat, waiting for when Bentley and Murray would hop in so they could find there lost leader._


	6. Chapter 6

_**Chapter 6: In The Mines**_

_Sly had been picking at the same piece of dirt for over an hour now, and he hadn't even come up with even the tiniest bit of gold, or for that matter, a rock. And yet, all around him, people were finding gold and gems like it was sprouting out of the ground. _

_After he had been found in front of the sphinx, or jackal as what it was now, he had been carried back to Cairo on the rear of a camel, who he could tell had quite a lunch before leaving the city. His kidnappers, three crocodiles, one who was left behind to clean up the mess, and the jackal, who Sly now knew as Samas, had been riding on a horse the whole way, had dragged him back to the mines he had in the city. From what he could tell when he arrived, the entire city looked to be divided. One half, the palace from all the high towers and many statues of Samas, was filled with many people covered in jewels and gold. The other, a poor looking district, which looked to be a ghost town, seeing as no one was in the city. As they dragged him back to the rich palace, Samas had boasted how simple minded and stupid these Egyptians where, talking about how he could make a coin disappear and they would call him a god reborn. Sly really didn't care. What did care about, though, was what had happened to his and Slytunkhamen's canes. In the little time they were there, he hadn't seen them lying around anywhere. He hoped it wasn't in the hands of that crocodile that was left behind, probably using it as a toothpick for his big mouth. As they reached the palace, Samas ordered the guards to bring him to the mines, saying that he was going to pay for what he did to the burial chamber. As they approached the entrance, Sly asked one of the guards what had happened to all the people in the lower city. The guard, a deep green crocodile, and said that he would see them very soon. Once they entered, Sly understood what he meant. Hundreds of people, all dressed in rags and garments, where working in the mines. The guards then gave Sly a pickax, saying how it would be nice to have another raccoon to enforce and threaten with, and before Sly could respond, they had thrown him into the mines, watching as he tumbled down the slope that led to the entrance, knowing he would never see light again._

_And here he was, mining a giant pile of dirt, wearing but his clothes, not only full of sand and soaked, but also torn and smelly from his ride to the city. The guards had arranged the mine so that it was a pit, with the only way out being a couple of ladders, a staircase that's always guarded, and a few ropes hanging from the sides to pull up gold and gems. As Sly was mining, he kept wondering where Slytunkhamen was, if he was even here. During the few breaks the guards gave him, he had wandered the mine, hoping to find him somewhere, fighting a guard or otherwise just being a nuisance to them. _

_One day, at least he thought it was a different day, he saw a line of miners carrying a massive diamond, it must have been at least three meters long! One of them in particular had caught his attention. He had been looking around the mines, glancing at any of the guards as they came close, them glaring at him as well. From what he could tell, he had a garment on that was a little bit longer than the others, had short gray hair, and had a tail that was, wait, covered in rings! As the miner turned around to look at the passing guard, Sly saw that it was indeed Slytunkhamen, looking even as a poor slave as an inspiring legend. To Sly's surprise, and the guards, he all of a sudden vanished, many of the other carriers getting shocked and dropping the diamond. Sly remembered that it was Slytunkhamen who developed the invisibility skill, although he could never figure out how to move while doing it. The guards must have known that too. As the slave stood shocked over what just happened, one guard came over and yanked a bundle that no one could see. Suddenly, Slytunkhamen stood in the guards grasp, struggling to get out of his grip._

**_"Trying to make an escape attempt again eh Cooper? You know, we have someone related to you here as well, someone you may know."_**_ Slytunkhamen had a look of shock on his face, not sure how the guards could possibly know he has a relative. The guard then carried him by his tunic over to where Sly was, bringing him up to look at the face of the other Cooper before him. Slytunkhamen, looking confused at the person he was looking at as well as how he looked oddly similar to him, was then pulled back by the guard, taking him away to be punished again for trying to escape. Sly, also going invisible, followed the guard so he could find out where he was taking his great ancestor._

_The guard had taken Slytunkhamen to the jail cells in the deepest part of the mine. The cells had been designed to be unstable, so that if a prisoner had attempted to break out without having opened the key from outside, the whole cell would collapse. The guard, who had a copy of the key, had opened the cell door and thrown Slytunkhamen inside._

**_"This time, your going to stay in there until you either learn you can never escape, or you just die. Hahaha!" _**_As the guard started to leave the cells, Slytunkhamen had walked over to one of the corners and sat down, looking rather sad that he had come back to the same place he had been for weeks now. He had started writing down notes on the prison in the cell over the past few times he had been in there. He had drawn a map, as well as the amount of guards guarding parts of the prison, ways in as well as failed ways out, and the parts of the mine used to mine the specific gems and gold. He now drew the face of a Cooper, his Cooper, near one of the gold parts of the mine. Feeling hopeless, he then sat crossed legged on the floor, knowing he was going to be here for a long, long time. He couldn't have been further from the truth._

_While Slytunkhamen was sulking in his cell, Sly had followed the guard, using the invisibility technique perfected by years of Cooper lineage. He was waiting for the right moment to snatch the key from him, in hopes they could break out of this mine together. As he was following the guard, Sly had been looking for something, anything, to distract him to get the key. He saw the perfect thing. Several of the miners had lined up a couple of their loot in buckets in a row. Sneaking over, Sly started to kick the buckets over, spilling the contents. That caught the guards attention, and he was soon stomping over. While he was distracted pressuring the miners, Sly snuck around and snatched the key from his pocket. With that done, he headed back to the cell holding his ancestor._

_As Slytunkhamen was closing his eyes to start to think, if not doze off, of what had happened today, he suddenly heard the sound of a key turning. Opening his eyes, he could see a key in the cell door, and it was moving. __**"Who is this?"** To his surprise, the door had swung open and the raccoon from earlier was standing in the doorway._

**_"__Um,__ hello."_**_ Whoever this raccoon was, he certainly looked a lot like him. Too much like him._

**_"Who are you boy? I have never seen your face in these walls, nor ever in the city." _**_He asked, still cross legged on the floor._

**_"Yeah, I'm a relative of yours, from the future. My name is Sly Cooper." _**_Before he could react, Slytunkhamen had sprung from the floor and had Sly's head against the bars._

_**"Use that name wisely boy. Many of the people here don't take kindly to those that bear that name. I know." **He said with full seriousness._

_**"I know I know, but i**_**_t's__ a long and complicated story, so if you'd like to hear it, we should probably get out of here." _**_Sly tried to wiggle his way out of the ancestors grip, but had no avail._

**_"Your going to need a lot more than that to convince me boy." _**_Slytunkhamen then started to press Sly's head into the bars slowly._

**_"_**_*gasp*** I know that you have the ability to turn invisible." **He pushed harder. **"I know that you have a son with the same name." **He pushed harder, this time with a hint of anger from his growl. **"Ah! I know about the Thievius Raccoonus!" **Nothing happened. Suddenly, he had let go of Sly's head and had taken a step back, looking a bit surprised at that piece of information._

**_"How? I haven't even written down it's name yet." _**

**_"Gah, like I said, I'm your descendant from the future. I know that you were starting to make it in this time period, and that you had intended it to be used for the cataloging of the great skills of the Coopers." _**_Sly had placed his hand on his head, hoping to ease the pain his ancestor had just caused him._

**_"Hmph, very well. So...Sly, what is your plan to escape here?" _**_He laid against one of the walls in the cells, seeing what his descendant would say._

**_"Uh, I was actually hoping you had one?"_**

**_"I have many, but all of them are useless because of my restrictions with my invisibility. I hope it was perfected where you came from?" _**_He looked at Sly with a questioning look._

**_"Perfected, and very helpful." _**_Sly then disappeared and started to interact with what he could in the cell. Closing doors, opening locks, even poking Slytunkhamen a few times, though cause he invented the ability, he could never actually touch without being caught._

**_"Excellent. With your ability, we may have a chance to get out of here, as well as free the other miners." _**_He then got up the wall and was starting to stand up straight again, something he hadn't done in a long time, when Sly spoke up._

**_"Whow, hold up. I had came here to look for you. As much as it pains me to say it, we can't do anything for the other people here. Now, that is. If I can contact my crew, we could manage to pull of a heist that could not only free these people, but also take down Samas and his army." _**_Slytunkhamen then started to relax again, only to think of how right Sly was and that they could do it all at once. **"But first things first, we need to get out of here."**_

_**"I have a plan, though I doubt you will like it." **Slytunkhamen then gave Sly another questionable glance._

**_"If it means getting out of these rags and seeing the sun again, then let's do it."_**

* * *

_Sly was starting to think that their could have been way better plans than this one. What Slytunkhamen proposed was that since they both knew how to go invisible, they would together stealthily find their way out without being seen by the guards. What he forgot to mention was that because he couldn't move while invisible, Sly would have to carry him. Sly, who wasn't that strong to begin with, was very reluctant to do so, considering there could have been way better plans than this. Unfortunately, he couldn't think of any, and because of that, Slytunkhamen was now being carried around like a backpack by Sly._

_**"You had been in here for weeks, and the best plan you could have think of when a relative comes along with your abilities is to have him be your pack-mule?" **Sly whispered, trying not to let the ancestor on his back to move that much.  
_

**_"Oh, would you have preferred if we went head on and tried to force our way out using nothing but rocks and sticks? And besides, this way, when we get out and are clear of the guards, you can hop on my back and I can carry you around." _**_He snapped back, although he was planning on running when they got out instead of be his pack-mule._

_The two had been hiding and sneaking around the nearly all of the mine. For the most part, the guards had paid little attention to them as they crept along. But as they started to get closer and closer to the exit, the guards had started to get more and more, making even harder to stay hidden from them, and harder for Sly to carry Slytunkhamen._

**_"I can see the moonlight up ahead."_**_ Slytunkhamen pointed out, not moving his limbs so as to loose his visibility. **"If we can make it to that last flight of stairs dead ahead, we can make a run for it while no one's looking."**_

_Sly was starting to get tired of carrying his ancestor, and could feel his legs about to drop any second. Nonetheless, he knew how close they were, and was trying his best to not collapse. He started to do a nice slow crawl to the exit, but as he got closer and closer, the guards seemed to get more and more aware that someone was near. He soon began to get into a slow walk, edging near the stairs that could lead to their escape. As he was nearing the top, he suddenly heard one of the guards exclaim that he saw footprints leading around the guards and to the exit. Acting quickly, the two started to run from the mines, but while Slytunkhamen had plenty of energy, Sly had none. He suddenly collapsed on the dirt, too tired to move his legs. Looks like Slytunkhamen has to carry him after all, wrapping one arm around him, the two started to run at a dead sprint. As they kept running they could see the city up ahead just a few meters away, but they could also hear the guards running after them from behind. Soon, they had made it to the city. Slytunkhamen, having been here all his life, was weaving and dodging through the streets, now crowded with the few people that weren't in the mines. As he turned a down an ally, he was greeted by a pair of hands that were waiting for him, and was suddenly tossed inside one of the buildings in the streets. Before he could look up at his taker, he had quickly closed the door, cutting off all light in the room, and had his ear pressed up against the door, waiting to hear if there were anything outside._


	7. Chapter 7

_**Chapter 7: Reunion**_

_Slytunkhamen had been quiet in the darkness, hoping to not to attract the guards attention if they were nearby. He had several questions for the person that just grabbed him and Sly, all of them he knew would have to wait for a later time. As time progressed and less footsteps were coming back and forth the alley, Slytunkhamen was about to ask who his kidnapper was when he pulled out a candle and a lit it. Except it wasn't a candle. It looked like a hammer, but the end pointed out like a ray of the sun. He heard rumors of such technology from the guards in the mines, but never thought they existed, although with everything that had happen for the past few weeks, he outta believed them by now. The stranger had shined the beam on Slytunkhamen and Sly, getting a closer look at his victims most likely. From what he could see, Slytunkhamen could tell he was big, as well as have had a form of gloves on when he grabbed them, seeing how they were too rough to be hands. He could also see what looked like a mask on his head, though it looked immensely small compared to his body. Before he could ask again who he was, Sly started to stir from his nap, something Slytunkhamen would make sure he would pay for having him run around this whole city with him on his back. _

**_"Uh, where are we?" _**_Before Slytunkhamen could respond, the big dude suddenly dropped the flashlight and had grabbed Sly in a bear hug. Slytunkhamen, not knowing it was actually a flashlight and not a weapon had rolled over and picked up the flashlight, aiming it right at their kidnapper. It was Murray!_

**_"Sly! It's good to see you again pal!" _**_He started to squeeze a little harder._

**_"_**_*gasp* **It's good to see you too Murray." **He tried to wrestle out of his friend's grasp, but when comes to a hug by Murray, you can't get out of it._

_**"You know this hippo?" **Slytunkhamen asked, still holding the flashlight like it was a weapon._

**_"_**_*gasp* **Yeah, he's was one of my crew I was telling you about. Speaking of which, where is everyone else Murray?"**_

_Murray then let go of Sly, placing him gently on the floor. **"Bentley is upstairs setting up the HQ. Carmelita is-"**_

_**"Wait. Carmelita is with you guys?"**_

_**"Yeah, in fact if it weren't for her, we would never have found you. She had a meeting with-"**_

_**"Murray! We can save that for later." **Bentley had suddenly hovered down the stairs using his jet-pack in his wheel chair. Slytunkhamen, now even more on alert, was pointing the flashlight at Bentley, who had shut it off using an EMP he had stored in his wheel chair. **"With all due respect Slytunkhamen, that flashlight would have done nothing to me anyway. Sly, it's great to see you!" **He then rolled over to where Sly was and offered him a friendly hand shake, which he graciously accepted._

**_"So, you know these two?" _**_Slytunkhamen asked while trying t figure out what Bentley just did with the flashlight._

**_"Oh, yeah. Slytunkhamen, this is Murray, the brawn of our group."_**_ Murray did his usual fist slamming in response. **"And this is Bentley, the brains of our group." **Bentley started to fix his glasses in response as well. **"Where is Carmelita at?"**_

_**"She went out in search of you."** Said Bentley, reaching in his coat pocket that for something that Sly and Slytunkhamen couldn't see.** "After we found out you were in Cairo, we rushed over in the van as soon as we could. She said she was going to patrol the city and ask anyone if they knew were they were keeping you. Anyway, we need to know what's going on here. Slytunkhamen, since you were here first, would you mine telling us what's going on here."**_

_**"Very well. But first I require my canes, something that liar Samas had taken from me when I tried to stop him." **Having given up on the flashlight, Slytunkhamen had handed it over to Murray, who then went back to the window to keep a lookout._

**_"Oh, thank you for reminding me." _**_Bentley then hovered off back upstairs in a hurry. He soon came down with Sly's and Slytunkhamen's canes. He started talking about how they arrived here, and how that they found them at he top of one of these hundreds of piles of gold. Sly smiled mischievously knowing why it was all there in the first place._

**_"Hmph, very well. But I will not start until the Ms. Carmelita arrives. I hate to repeat myself."_**

* * *

_After what felt like hours of waiting, Carmelita finally returned from her patrol of the city. Before she could speak, she saw that Sly was fast asleep on the mat in the living room and that someone who looked a lot like him was sitting in a corner looking at the twin canes they found at the sphinx. Upon seeing his new guest, Slytunkhamen looked up in anticipation of what she would say. Rather than speak, Carmelita walked over to where Sly was laying down and forced him up by the collar. As he opened his eyes and saw who it was that forced him up, he was met by the same brown eyes that he come to adore over the years, though this time they were filled with immense anger. **"Cooper, if you ever pull a stunt like that again, I'll-I'll-" **Before he could say anything, Sly was met by a kiss by Carmelita. Surprised by this Sly looked at her with a shock and awe, believing he had still been gone for a few days when it had been two months where they came from. She then set him down, happy to have him back even though she was immensely mad for the trouble he had put her through over the past few months. With everyone now here, Slytunkhamen then began what his story._

_He had just robbed a greedy nobleman who had been using the taxes from the pharaoh as a means to get rich, when their was a loud sound that went through the air. Following the sound, he had encountered the first of these crocodile soldiers storming through the streets. They were armed with weapons he had never seen before, each each with the power to shoot fire from them. As he traced back where they were coming from, he saw a vortex that seemed to come from the very air. Continuing to watch, he soon saw the jackal emerge out of it, riding an immense monstrosity that was neither living nor dead. As his men stormed the streets, people began to believe him to be a god and as such were bowing before his presence. Soon, he had arrived at the palace, and while upon his steed, the jackal had blown a hole in the palace doors. His men stormed the palace, raiding the treasure piles and enslaving the royals that lived there. As he reached the throne room, the jackal, naming himself as Samas, had dethroned the ruling pharaoh, a great man Slytunkhamen had known as being just and true to the people, and pronounced himself ruling pharaoh of Egypt. Slytunkhamen had attempted to stop him by using his canes to defeat him in combat, but Samas's power over magic was to overpowering. Upon defeating him, Samas had taken his canes as a show of his display of power, having defeated the greatest thief of this time. Slytunkhamen was then put into the mines as a 'well-cared for' prisoner. In his efforts to fight Samas, however, he had bought enough time to allow his family,the pharaoh and his wife, and his brother time to escape and hide from Samas's men._

**_"Brother? You never mentioned a brother in the Thievius Raccoonus, nor was there ever any account of you having one in history." _**_Sly stated, having owned and memorized the Thievius Raccoonus all his life._

**_"...My reasons are my own, know simply that I do have one, and that although our relationship is imbalanced, he is still my most trusted ally." _**_Slytunkhamen said, looking as though a dark memory had resurfaced in his eyes, but was quickly gone before he continued his story._

_After he had been imprisoned, Samas began reconstruction of the sphinx as well as making it his own burial chamber. He then made the people of the lower city as well as the less needed noblemen be put to work in the mines. As Slytunkhamen was imprisoned, he began to see that Samas was looking for something for something in the mines, so far more valuable and greater than that of any of the gold and jewels that were being found. Over time, he had begun to get more and more desperate to find whatever was buried in there, making the miners work longer hours and giving them shorter breaks. Through it all, he made sure the Slytunkhamen was still trapped, paying him visits to see if he was still alive as well as report anything he might want to know from the outside. Slytunkhamen had always believed he did just to be cruel, to rub it in his face what he won't know on the outside. It was only a few weeks later when he had met Sly and they were at where they were now._

**_"And now you know what this madmen has done. He must be stopped before he completely ruins this city and all of Egypt. I know not why he is doing this nor who is helping him with such tasks, but I know they must pay for what they have done to my city and it's people. Will you help me?" _**_He then stood up and looked at them all who had sat down to here his tale. One by one they all stood, except Bentley who made an effort to but failed, and agreed to help any way they can. **"Thank you."**_


	8. Chapter 8

_**Chapter 8: Photos For A King**_

_After Slytunkhamen had told his story, Bentley then went to research on what he could on Samas. He had come from a long line of great magicians, performing the world's greatest tricks and shows and hauling in billions of citizens. Samas was just as good and just as successful as his ancestors, but all that changed after an accident he had during his career. He had been charged with murder after he, his benefactor and his family car had swerved off the road and exploded. Miraculously, Samas had survived without a scratch, however the family as well as his benefactor and best friend had died in the blaze. Forced into prison, he was let out early on account of a mysterious employer. For twenty years the world had heard no word of the magician, during that time Samas had begun experimenting in the black arts. Until recently the world thought he was dead, but it turned out he had been sent back to this time to mine out whatever was underneath the city. Upon hearing this, the gang had asked Sly to see what he could find out about the city and what Samas was looking for. Sly then left the hideout and went to the first place on his list, the mines that he had been imprisoned._

**_"The first thing will need to figure out is what Samas is up to. Snag some pictures of the mine as well as some of the interior so we can figure out how to free the slaves and stop his operation." _**_Bentley said over Sly's binocucom. _

_Sneaking over to where one of the abandoned buildings were in front of the mine, Sly took a picture of the entrance to the mine._

**_"Getting inside that is not going to be__ easy."_**_ Bentley said over the binocucom. **"**_**_We'll__ need to plan carefully what we'll need to do if we are going to free all of Cairo as well as shut down the mine without trapping anyone inside. See if you can sneak inside and get some pictures of the interior."_**

**_"Bentley, Slytunkhamen had been in there for weeks. Can't we just trust his memory and sketches of the mine?" _**_Sly asked, really not wanting to have to go back in the mine._

**_"As much as I respect your ancestor Sly," _**_Bentley started, **"he doesn't know the technology we have from our time. What could seem like a really hard yet hollow rock to him may be some plastic from our time. Sorry Sly, your going to need to go back in there. Try using your Shadow power to get pass the guards."**_

_Sly then jumped down from the building, landing on a some form of mat. He then went invisible, and slowly made his way over to the mine. Once he got pass the guards, he then climbed a nearby ladder to get a higher view of the mine. Looking out over the mine, Sly could see many of the people working and digging for gold and jewels. As he continued looking, he noticed that several of the slaves had been stacking there pick-axes in a pile on the far northern corner of the mine. As he looked closer at the pile, he could see that several of the slaves had been coming and going from it, likely to get a better pick-ax then the one they had. As he continued looking around the mine, he could see that several of the guards where coming and going from a tunnel on the south side of the mine._

**_"Sly, see that tunnel where the guards are coming from."_**_ Said Bentley again over the binocucom._**_ "That must be the guard barracks. Get a picture of that for me. We might be able to think of a way to trap several of the guards in there."_**

_Taking a picture of the barracks, Sly then noticed several of the guards where lining up at an opening in the wall near the west side of the mine. Zooming in with the binocucom, Sly could see that they were getting food from what he assumed was the kitchen._

**_"If we can figure out how to get in there, we might be able to poison the guards food to make then fall unconscious. Get a picture for me."_**

_Getting another picture, Sly then started to hear some commotion coming from the entrance to the mine. Looking over with his binocucom, he could see several guards were standing at attention as some one was coming in. Zooming in, Sly could see that it was Samas, dressed in a white and red magicians suit, arriving to inspect his workers to see how close they were getting. As he kept watching, Sly then saw someone else next to Samas. From what he could see, they were dressed in red and black garments and had a hood and mask covering their face. Many of the guards were backing off as he was walking around the mine, most likely out of fear. Sly could see that they had been talking about something as Samas kept speaking to the man as he was walking around the mine._

**_"Sly, get a picture of those two for me. If we can know who this is Samas is in lead with, we could figure out why he is back in Ancient Egypt." _**_Sly then quickly took a picture of the two of them. **"See if you can listen on their conversation without being noticed. Use your Shadow Power and several of the debris and construction tools as cover so they don't see you."**_

_Climbing down from where the view point was, Sly sneaked over to where the two were looking out over the mine. As he got closer, he started hearing the two of them talk about the progress of the mine._

**_"As you can see, I have already made great progress from the people of this city, and I expect to reach our goal in a day or, if these miners get lucky, in a few hours."_**_ Sly knew the voice was from Samas, talking about how close he was to reaching whatever was buried in Cairo._

**_"Perhaps, but you and I both know that our employer is already starting to lose his patience with you. He has even authorized me to, if you don't live up to the task, tie up loose ends." _**_From what he could tell, the man in red had some kind of voice changer, that or his voice was being muffled from the mask he wore. Either way, Sly couldn't tell what his real voice sounded like._

_The two had started heading to the entrance to the mine. Sly, using the debris from the digging as cover, had followed them out of it. As they were heading back to the city, Sly was hearing them continue their talk from earlier._

**_"Hmph, even if he has ordered you to execute me Rouge, he will never find someone as great as me in the world, no matter what time period he ask of that new recruit to look in." _**_The voice was Samas again, who had been walking through alleys and streets to where Sly saw was the palace. **"She may be a part of our 'inner circle', but even she doesn't have the experience or skill most of us have, even if she had served in that Cooper gang for a time"**_

_**"That may be true." **Said the one Samas called Rouge. **"But the boss believes she is going to play a key role in his plans, having her meet him in person for awhile now."**_

_**"In person? Hah! Sounds like she is starting to replace you as second-in-command! Better watch yourself Rouge, if she keeps this up, you may find yourself having many enemies in the company." **Samas then made a left through a turn leading to the palace, most likely to shorten their walk._

**_"If she does manage to replace me, then she will be the one who needs to watch out. You forget who I am Samas, as well as what I do." _**_To this, Rouge then looked at Samas, who only smiled as if he had told a joke. **"You find this funny? Perhaps I could end you now and be done with it."**_

_**"You could," **replied Samas, still smiling, **"but we both know why you won't." **He then looked at Rouge with a look of curiousity, who only turned away, looking at the palace that lie ahead of him. **"How can you be so sure he has authorized you to kill me? You know he has use for me, as well as what I have going on here. Once I mine the meteor, he will still need the gold and gems that these people are finding." **_

_**"He does not need as much as he used too." **said Rouge, **"But he is getting more and more impatient for the meteor. If you don't find it soon Samas, he has threatened to elevate this whole city to find it."**_

_Sly had been following the two on the roofs of the city, managing to stay out of their line of sight. Upon hearing of this 'new recruit', Sly wondered if it might have been Penelope. Bentley, who had been listening in on the conversation as well as recording it, had told Sly not to jump to conclusions yet. As the pair continued to progress toward the palace, Sly had been getting more and more closer to them, in hopes of picking up more of what they were saying. Upon hearing of a meteor Samas had told that landed in Cairo, Bentley said he would look into if their were any meteor landings in Egypt over the past thousands of years. The two were now coming upon the courtyard leading to the palace entrance._

**_"Oh yes, I nearly forgot. How has been the Cooper you had kept in the mines? I hope he is finding things...comfortable." _**_The two were now standing at the front of the entrance to the palace, two massive doors that looked several inches thick and were several meters high. Sly was only a few meters away behind the cover of a statue of Samas._

**_"Unfortunately, he has escaped, as well as his recently arrived descendant, Sly Cooper." _**_Replied Samas, not having a hint of worry on his face._

**_"Well, that's...unfortunate." _**_Replied Rouge, from what Sly could tell, not sounding a hint of anger or worry as well._

**_"Perhaps we should talk more on the matter inside my private quarters." _**_Samas then opened the door and stepped inside, holding the door open for his guest._

**_"Sly quick! Throw a tracer on the back of Rouge's cloak! We can't let them get away without knowing what there planning!"_**_ yelled Bentley over the binocucom._

_Acting as fast as he could, Sly quickly pulled out a Thievius Bug, an invention Bentley had been making over the past two months, and threw it at the back of Rouge's cloak. Before Sly could believe it, the hooded figure had turned around and had sliced the bug out of the air with what looked a blade from his arm. Looking up from the debris of the bug, Sly could see Rouge looking at where Sly had thrown the bug, and starring directly at him even though he was invisible because of the Shadow Power. Samas, acting without a hint of surprise, only smiled and gestured for Rouge to come in. The hooded figure then turn around and enter the palace, Samas closing the door as he did._

**_"That-that-that couldn't be possible!" _**_Bentley said over the binocucom, incredibly surprised that the figure had cut down his bug, which were only at least two centimeters in size. **"They hadn't seen you the entire time you had been stalking them, and neither of which knew where you were hiding there! We'll definitely have to research into this Rouge character. Take a picture of the palace doors as well as the palace for me. Where going to need to figure out how to get into this place if we're going to stop Samas and his operation here."**_

_Sly, still shocked after what just happened, climbed to the top of the statue and took a picture of the palace doors and the palace itself. Climbing down, he and the gang knew this was going to be difficult heist, and that they were going to need all their skills if they wanted to take back Cairo and stop Samas. He knew he was going to be in for one heck of a ride._


	9. Chapter 9

_**Chapter 9: Nobody Likes A Miner**_

_Upon returning to the hideout, Bentley then went over what he had found out about the meteor Samas had talked about as well as his mysterious guest. Apparently, Samas was right about a meteor being buried underneath Cairo. The meteor, which had crashed nearly two thousand years ago, was said to be composed of an unknown element. Having been destroyed and scattered in their present time due to civilization changing and remaking the city, the meteor could be sold for billions of dollars. However, pieces from it in the present day could be sold for a good hundred-thousand as well, so Samas mustn't be looking for it for cash. Whatever his reasons are for looking for it as well as enslaving everyone of Cairo for it, it must be immensely important to his employer._

_ As for the man in red and black robes, Bentley hadn't found that much on him. His name, or the name as his employers call him, is The Rouge. According to police records, he's wanted across worldwide for crimes in espionage, murder, terrorism, and just about every other crime known to man. His biography from police records states that he is the greatest assassin and most-wanted mercenary in the world, having brought down entire countries and starting decade old wars. Whatever his connection to Samas is, the two seem to share the same employer. As for who their employer was, Bentley had know idea._

_After Bentley had shared his information on the two matters, he immediately got to work on explaining his plan. In order to take down Samas and his mining operation, the gang would need to free the people of Cairo to start a city riot. Slytunkhamen, having known these people for years, stated that although the people of the city admire and believe Samas to be a form of god, they still are loyal to their pharaoh and will follow him anywhere. In order to get the citizens out of the minds, the gang will need to infiltrate the prison's kitchen and poison the guards food. Bentley had cooked up a higher dose of his sleep darts to use for it, and he would need someone to find a way into the kitchen to put the dose into the food containers. At the same time, he will need someone to weaken the entrance to the guards barracks to cut off any reinforcements arriving from there. To do that, he had a couple of remote detonated bombs ready to collapse the tunnel. Once the guards are knocked out and the barracks are cut off, the people will need to riot through the streets toward the palace in a city-wide rebellion. To keep them from panicking from all the guards in the city, Murray will provide the lead with the some cover from Bentley with the RC Chopper. Once they have arrived at the gates, Carmelita will need to blast open the doors to the palace with her shock pistol, now upgraded thanks to V.C, to be able to take down Samas. While the people are charging through the palace and distracting the guards, Sly and Slytunkhamen will take advantage of the chaos and find Samas, taking him down and freeing the people of Cairo._

* * *

_To begin the heist, the gang will first need to find Cairo's pharaoh. Slytunkhamen, having helped him escape from the palace, knew where he was. His only problem with that was that he was under the protection of his brother, Vimenhotep Cooper. The gang, thinking that it shouldn't be a problem, were greatly wrong when Slytunkhamen explained his reason for that. His brother was the pharaoh's leading adviser, general, and unbeknownst to the pharaoh, crime-lord of all of Egypt. Slytunkhamen explained that he and his brother never saw eye-to-eye as children, he wanting to live up to his father's name and honor the Cooper legacy, his brother wanting to use the skills and teachings of his ancestors to not only become a master-thief, but the greatest criminal in all of Egypt. As such, the two grew to become enemies and rivals, Slytunkhamen stealing from the corrupted pharaohs and nobleman of Egypt, his brother controlling and manipulating the criminal underworld and corrupt royalty of the country. Although the gang believed that even though his brother may have become a villain, he was still his brother nonetheless, and Cairo was still their city. With effort, Slytunkhamen was convinced his brother could put aside their feud and take back the city together. _

_The pharaoh had been hiding out at Slytunkhamen's brother's private fortress, a thick stone temple located deep in the desert that was far away from public eyes. The pharaoh had given it as a gift of loyalty to Vihotep, who immediately used it as a base for his criminal underworld. Usually, it would be covered by his personal soldiers, but after Samas arrived, the army had disbanded in hopes that their 'new-found-god' wouldn't come after them for serving under a crime-lord. Seeing as their was no one protecting the place, Slytunkhamen just strolled right in and knocked on the front door. He was surprised that it was actually his brother who answered the door and not one of his slaves, who he never allowed to leave in hopes they wouldn't spill his secrets._

**_"Well well well, I knew it was only a matter of time before you came here." _**_He had on his usual look, a black and blue skirt and crowned with copy of Slytunkhamen's own crown, although rather it be in blue and black, it was black and red. '_He always did like those two colors' _thought Slytunkhamen. **"Unless you are going to stand there and expect me to give a long-time-no-see hug, you better speak quickly. The pharaoh has been getting annoyed staying at my private abode, and he has been wanting to return the city he once ruled. It's starting to get annoying."**_

_**"Then tell him he may have his chance brother, cause we are going to take back the city soon." **replied Slytunkhamen, both looking at each other as if one of them might make a move on the other soon, which for Slytunkhamen, happened a lot between them._

**_"Hah! And I suppose you have an army to help you with that? We both saw what Samas' men could do, and unless you are planning to get everyone in Cairo to help you, your chances are good as none." _**_Slytunkhamen just smiled his mischievous grin, of which his ancestors had done so many times when they had something in mind. **"You are aren't you?"**__  
_

_**"I suppose you'll let me inside now so you can here my plan?"**_

_**"***deep sigh* **Fine, come in. Your family's been worried sick about you anyway, best they see your fine than here it from me. Besides, it will be nice to, hehe, catch up." **He then opened the door and welcome his brother inside, knowing very well the two were going to have a long night._

* * *

_Meanwhile, as Slytunkhamen was convincing the pharaoh and his brother to return to Cairo, Sly and the Gang had been working on a way to get into the kitchen and sabotage the barracks. Bentley had assigned Murray to sabotage the guard barracks, using some crocodile skin and armor found in one of the guardhouses in the city, while Sly was assigned the role of getting into the kitchen and sabotaging the guards food supply._

**_"Why is it always me that does the hard stuff?" _**_Sly complained, sitting down at one of the abandoned buildings near the entrance to the mine._

_**"Hey, if you wanna switch places and wear the crocodile skin and armor, I'd be more than happy than to trade." **replied Murray, who was speaking through the binocucom since he was still at the guardhouse getting into the armor.  
_

_"__Heh,_**_ no thanks pal, that armor would crush me anyway."_**

_After a good few minutes of waiting, Murray had finally arrived wearing the armor. From what Sly could tell, he actually looked like one of the guards, having the armor restrict his belly and pink skin and crocodile head cover his face. If it weren't for the fact Sly knew it was him, he may not have known at all._

**_"Whow Murray, if I didn't know it was you underneath that, I might have just hit you with my cane." _**_Sly complimented, noticing Murray was having a hard time getting used to the feel._

**_"Really? It feels like I'm being squished like trash compactor. Do you think they'll recognize me?" _**

**_"So long as you don't tear that that armor or get in a fight, I'd say yeah they won't even recognize you."_**

_The two then started to make their way down to the mine. Sly in his Shadow Power mode staying close to Murray by leaving footprints as they walked together so he knew where he was. Murray was having a bit of trouble going down the slope with the armor on, but once they reached the mine, he was okay. As the neared the entrance, Murray was stopped by one of the guards._

**_"Halt! Who are you? I have never seen your face around here?" _**_Said the guard, who had a shotgun armed in his hand in case of a wrong answer._

**_"Uh, I'm new here." _**_replied Murray, **"I just got moved down from, uh, city patrol. Too many fishes from lunch, uh, made the city barracks stink up."**_

_**"That was you! Well done pal! We down here in the mines are always being put down by those city guards. Well done pal, come right in." **To his surprise, the guard had stepped aside and let Murray pass without question. _

**_"Nice job Murray."_**_ Sly whispered from next to him. **"Okay, the kitchen is down on the west side of the mine. The barracks is near the southern edge of it. I'll head to the kitchen and add the dosage while you plant the remote detonators at the barracks. Once we're done with those then we can get out of here for good. You ready?"**_

_**"Yep. That faster we get this done, the faster I can get out of this skin and armor. It's starting to itch." **Murray started scratching his back to show he meant it._

_The two then split up to complete their assigned jobs hoping everything would go as planned. They were in for a surprise._

* * *

_Slytunkhamen had been trying to explain to the pharaoh his story of what happened to him as well as his descendant coming here and their plan to free Cairo. While he was explaining, Vimenhotep had been listening in on his brother's story from his living room entrance. He had been adding his own input on the matter whenever his brother had to catch his breath, often stating that he had either lost his mind or was just starting too. It was starting to get irritating._

_**"***sigh* **Let me say it again. After I had attempted to fight Samas, he had thrown me in the mines with the rest of the people of Cairo. After a few weeks later, my descendant had come back through time from the future three-thousand years from now. He freed me, and together we and his gang had developed a plan to take back Cairo. How is this hard to understand?"**_

_**"Slytunkhamen, their is nothing hard about understanding it," **said the pharaoh, a falcon who had been wearing his night clothes when Slytunkhamen had arrived, **"the problem is finding it believable."**_

_**"Even if your descendant did come back from the future," **Vimenhotep spoke up, **"Their is nothing proving that he is from that time period, or for that matter the future to begin with." **_

_Starting to get annoyed, Slytunkhamen then sat down roughly on the cushion laid out in the room, when he suddenly felt something hit him in the back. Reaching back to his back pocket, he had remembered the flashlight he had forgot to give back to Murray after they had found him. He yanked from where it was being holstered and put out on his knees._

**_"What is that?"_**_ asked the pharaoh_

**_"This is evidence that they are who they say they are."_**

**"_Hah! Please, what's a stick going to prove they are from the future?" _**_Vimenhotep asked._

_With that, Slytunkhamen had turned on the flashlight and started waving it around the room. The pharaoh, who had been sitting across Slytunkhamen, had quickly leaned back into his chair with shock and awe at the marvel before him. Vimenhotep, who had been in the doorway, only raised an eye at the spectacle. Slytunkhamen then shined it across the gold that was lying in the room and watched as it cast billions of beams of light around the room, lighting it up like a disco._

**_"Does this prove that I am not crazy brother?"_**_ asked Slytunkhamen, who Vimenhotep only made an amused smile for his reply. **"So great pharaoh, will you return with me and take back your city?"**_

_The pharaoh had been staring at the flashlight like it was the greatest thing he had ever seen. Upon looking up at Slytunkhamen, he had a look of great pride and joy, like he was a little kid on Christmas Eve. **"I will, it's time Samas should be taught his place in the world. Vimenhotep, prepare the horses. We ride at dawn."**_

_**"As you wish sir. Not bad little brother. Not bad." **He then smiled as he turned the other way, not remembering the last time he had called his brother that. Slytunkhamen, who was only twelve when his brother had smiled out of respect, had a look of joy on his face, one he hadn't had for a long time._

* * *

_Murray was having some trouble placing the explosives in the barracks. Although he had the look of one of the guards, he couldn't make placing a couple of bombs in a guard barrack look normal, especially since many of the guards kept trying to compliment him on his false story. Most of the time, he had to wait till the guards where out of the room before placing even one, and even then, he only had a few seconds before another walked in. He had to get the three places where it would be difficult for them to get out, the entrance to the barracks, the sleeping quarters, which he was pretty sure in need of cleaning, the changing quarters, and the weapons depot. all of which were always guarded, so if he was going to place a bomb, he needed the guards distracted. Fortunately, the guards remembered his story about having bad breath, so if he talked long enough, they would usually just leave their post. Once he had placed the bombs in the changing quarters and weapons depot, all he needed to do was plant the ones in the sleeping quarters. Upon arriving there though, he was met by several of the guards who had been getting ready for the night patrol as well as several of them preparing for their long awaited nap for the day. Upon seeing Murray, one of the guards had shouted a welcoming party for him, seeing as they saw him as a new recruit. Murray, still needing to place the last bomb, started to say that he was only visiting and that he needed to get back to his post. One of the guards simply said he'll cover for him, but as he was leaving, Murray blurted out that he really didn't want to make Samas mad that he left his post and his group of miners had stopped working for the night. The guard then stopped dead, and simply turned around and got back in his bed, yelling how right he was and that he should be on his way. Acting quickly, Murray placed the bomb in an opening above the entrance and raced off out of the barracks, hoping Sly would be at the entrance when he got back._

* * *

_ Sly had been having his own troubles. Even though he was invisible, the guards could still hear him as well as see where he'd been. As he neared the kitchen entrance, several of the guards had their guns pointing where he stood right around the corner. Even though they couldn't see him, they could still hear him as he was trying to not to make the rocks under his feet rumble. Thinking quickly, Sly picked up one of the rocks and chucked it into one of the corners surrounding the kitchen. The guards then darted off to see if someone was trying to sneak their way into the kitchen for more food, even though the person they were after just ran right past them. Sly then followed the smell of food, which he could tell was nasty, into a large boiler room. Unfortunately, their was more than one of them, ten in fact, each lined up in a rows of two. Bentley only gave him enough sleep dose for one of them. Sly would have to see which of the boilers is still full and not emptied, in hopes of that it will be used the next day. He made his way over to the first set of boilers, which he could tell had been made from fish that had been left in the sun too long. Upon reaching the lid to the massive boiler, he lifted it up and saw that it was indeed empty, holding in his vomit till after he checked the next set. He then went over to the next pair and could smell what he hoped was burnt meat. Lifting the lid of this set, he could see that it too was empty. He continued progressing down the rows, first it was fish, then it was burnt meat, after that it was expired soup, then it was dead crab. Upon reaching the final pot, Sly knew it was going to be the worst one. Surprisingly, it smelled really good, almost like fresh baked bread. It wasn't. It was actually a mix of the other pots, the smell actually coming from a fan blowing the scent of an air-freshener through the room, though it was blocked by the mixed pot, so it only reached that one. Sly knew that if the other pots were empty, this had to be the full one. It was. After he poured the dose into the pot, Sly quickly rushed out of the room, hoping to find a place to hide before he threw up from the smells and what was being cooked with them. He didn't in time._


	10. Chapter 10

_**Chapter 10: Operation: Pharaoh Bust**_

_**"Okay gang,"** Bentley started, **"this is it. It's time to retake Cairo from Samas. Murray, you and the pharaoh will head to the mines and prepare for the slaves to be freed. Slytunkhamen and Vimenhotep, as they are leading them through the streets, you will need to provide cover for them so the guards don't freak out the civilians. I'll provide air support with my RC chopper, as well as take out any guards on the palace walls. Carmelita and Sly, as they approach the gate, you'll need to start weakening the door so they can charge on through the palace. They should be able to take care of them from there. As the people are storming the palace, Sly, you and Slytunkhamen will need to find Samas before he can escape from the rebellion. If we all remember the plan, we should be able to stop Samas and free everyone of Cairo."**_

* * *

_After Bentley had explained the plan, Murray and the pharaoh had traveled to the mines in wait of the slaves coming out. As the neared the entrance, they saw the entrance guards were passed out, thanks to Sly's careful choosing of the cooking pots. Walking in, they found the miners walking around shocked that the guards were all fast asleep. Acting quickly, Murray activated the bombs he had stored in the barracks. As the explosions rang out through the mine, the pharaoh then stepped up to the observation platform._

**_"People of Cairo!" _**_remembering the voice of their great leader, the miners then turned to where he stood on his platform. **"For nearly a month, Samas has imprisoned you in these dark mines, forcing you to work back and bone on digging away for his project. Listen to these sounds that echo through these halls!" **By sounds, he was referring to the explosions from the bombs, which were still echoing through the mine. **"These are the sounds of your freedom! Take up your arms," **the people then stormed over to were the pickax pile was, grabbing as many as they could carry, **"follow me into battle against our combined foe! Together, we will prevail!"**_

_Suddenly, the miners had united into one swarm, and with Murray and the pharaoh in the lead, had charged out of the mines, trampled and destroying all the gold and gem piles they had been forced to dig out. _

* * *

_As Slytunkhamen and Vimenhotep waited for the sound of the people charging through the streets, they had gotten into a discussion of what should be done between them after Samas was dealt with._

**_"No matter what happens this day brother," _**_said Vimenhotep, **"know that it changes nothing between us."**_

_**"But why? Why are you still pursuing this goal of yours? Why are going to keep fighting against me and the clan?" **asked Slytunkhamen, who had been sharpening and cleaning his canes while they talked._

**_"The clan will always be an outcast to the world, stealing from other thieves and yet being hunted down by those of the law even though they act as heroes among criminals. I will not tolerate it. I will not be confined to a useless cause. I will not only become the greatest thief in the country, but the mastermind behind all crime in the world." _**_He then stood up and walked over to the edge of the roof they had been camping on, looking out over the city waiting for Murray and the pharaoh to arrive with the people. Slytunkhamen stored his canes and walked over to him, standing next to him._

**_"Brother, what you are doing is foolish. One man cannot possibly control every ounce of crime in the country, no matter what family he hails from."_**

**_"He can if he his the best at what he does, and we are the greatest thieves that have ever lived."_**

**_"But we are not criminals. We do what we do because it is right and just. What you are doing isn't. It's a complete mockery of the Cooper Clan."_**

_Vimenhotep then turned at his brother with rage in his eyes. **"Mockery? I am making the Cooper clan into the greatest criminal organization of Egypt, and you are calling it a mockery? Hear my words brother, I will continue to grow my empire, even after I leave this world. My descendants will continue my legacy, expanding not just it of Egypt, but of Africa, of Asia, of all the countries in this world. You can say what you will about what I am doing, but while you and your family continue to steal from petty little thieves and wannabes, know that I will always continue to expand my empire, and as I do, so will my hatred for the Cooper Clan." **He then turned and stared back at the horizon where the Murray and the pharaoh would come up, not regretting anything he said knowing he meant every word._

_**"***sigh* **You were once a better man than this. It was you who inspired me to write down all the secrets that our descendants will learn from us, did you know that? I watched as a boy as you and father worked hours in the yard, training to become the next heir of the family, destined to carry the canes that our father and his forefathers carried. If it wasn't for you, I wouldn't be what I am today. What changed Vimenhotep? What made you become this what you are today?"**_

_**"I grew up and looked into the big picture, little brother. Our family will always be a stain on the masterpiece that is the criminal underworld, not fitting in amongst criminals and not being welcomed by those of the law. I will not be a part of something so puny and small in such a big picture. I will be the border, the one that controls and can easily separate what is worthy of it and what is not. Murray is coming up over the horizon now with the pharaoh and the people. We will discuss another time when we are not at each others throats." **He then jumped down from the building, landing behind one of the first patrol of guards. Pulling out his cane, rather than it be gold and brown like the rest of his family, he had made it silver and black, he easily dismantled the squad and took them down without so much as a sound. Slytunkhamen, looking down at his brother as he beat the squad, only sighed knowing he was going to have a long night with him, and jumped off the roof, following his lead._

* * *

_As Murray and the pharaoh had entered the city, Bentley had sent out his RC chopper to provide cover fire as they rioted through the streets. As Slytunkhamen and Vimenhotep provided ground support through entrances where the guards could sneak up on the crow, Bentley was taking care of the guards on the rooftops. As he continued to drop bombs on the unsuspecting guards, he saw that their was something big coming out of the palace doors, zooming in with his RC's scope he could see it was a tank!_

**_"Sly, Carmelita, there's a problem at the palace."_**_ he said over the binocucom. **"****Samas has just deployed a tank to stop the people from rioting! Quick, get over there and shut that thing down! if the people catch sight of that thing again, they'll lose their confidence and this plan will fail!"**_

_**We're on it Bentley." **said Sly also over binocucom. __**"So, Carmelita, ready to get back together and take down this thing?"**_

_**"Cooper, if we weren't on a mission right now, I would shoot you just for that." **She said, having her pistol out and ready in case Sly wanted to make a comeback. He didn't. The two had been camped out in the alley in front of the palace Samas and Rouge had walked through. **"Here's the plan, you run out there and distract it, while a move around and try to dismantle it from behind."**_

_**"Wait, why do I have to distract the giant tank? Your the one who's carrying the bazooka pistol?!" **he said, backing back up a little bit more in the alley._

**_"Because, unless you want me to beat you senseless, handcuff you, then throw you out there anyway, you may just want to take the chance to get out there now while you are still in one piece." _**_She then pulled out her handcuffs and starting twirling then around her pointer finger, emphasizing her point._

**_"Uh, okay, I'll do it. Jeez two months and your still as hardcore as ever." _**_Carmelita then grabbed him by the back of his shirt and dragged him to the alley opening leading to the palace. Losing her patience, she chucked Sly out in the middle of the street, right within the tanks line of sight. **"Uh, hello." **The tank's barrel then aimed down at where Sly was standing, and opened fire. Sly jumped out of the way, but just barely, when he got up when it fired again. He jumped to the left side of the street__ ducking behind what he assumed was a market stand selling carpets. **"You go out and distract it while I go around the back." **He said in a mocking Carmelita voice. **'Easy for her to say." **He then peaked around the corner and saw that the tank was aiming right at the stand. **"Yikes!"** He quickly jumped back in the middle of the street just as the tank fired and carpets started raining down from the sky. **"Hey, I was gonna buy one of those" **He joked, even though he knew they probably couldn't hear him as they inside a giant tank._

_As Sly continued to distract the tank, Carmelita had managed to sneak behind it and had just managed to reach it's blind spot underneath where the barrel could be if it ever turned around. She could hear Sly taunting the driver repeatedly, as well as the tank now firing faster than it's normal rate. **"That's it Ringtail, keep distracting him." **She then climbed on top of one of the treads, which weren't moving as much since Sly had been keeping it in the same spot, and jumped up on top of where the entrance hatch was. Sly, looking up to where Carmelita was had only gave her a quick wink before the tank fired again. Aiming her pistol, Carmelita had shot off the hatch to the tank. Looking up, the guards were very surprised to find a cop all the way back in this time. **"Mind if I borrow this." **Carmelita then jumped down, and using the training she had been taught by Interpol, had quickly incapacitated the two guards in charge of the tank. Poking her head out, she signaled Sly that he was clear, and running over, quickly hopped in the tank with her. With them now in control of this monstrosity, the two decided they might as well make use of it. Throwing the unconscious guards out of the tank, Carmelita and Sly then steered it back toward the palace. As they neared the palace doors, Sly had loaded one of the rounds that had been trying to kill him into the tanks cannon. aiming at the center of the palace doors, Carmelita then fired, blasting the thick door to just in time too._

* * *

_ Soon, the crowd had arrived at the palace, and upon seeing the doors blown open by the monstrosity that had first tormented, had found a new found strength and stormed the palace doors. Murray, who had come to the tank, yelled if Carmelita and Sly were in there. The two then poked their heads out, saying how nice it was to see him, and crawled on out. Soon Slytunkhamen and Vimenhotep had arrived and Bentley had flew in with his wheelchair. The gang was now ready to find and take down Samsas._

* * *

_ As the people stormed through the gates the gang decided to split up. Sly and Slytunkhamen will take the northern side of the palace, Carmelita and Vimenhotep would take the west side, and Bentley and Murray will take the east. After a good thirty minutes of exploring the crew had regrouped and found nothing. Upon returning though, Slytunkhamen had pointed out there was one room the never checked. The throne room. Running to the center of the palace, the gang then found the doors closed, but could see that the room was lit on the inside from the light coming from the bottom of the doors. Combining their strength, the crew pushed open the massive doors to the room, and saw Samas sitting on top of the golden throne. He had been laying on it like it was some relaxing armchair, with one leg over one of the armrest and his hand resting on the back of the throne. he had held a stopwatch in the other, which was resting on the other armrest. _

_**"One hour, ten minutes, fifty-three seconds, and forty five milli-seconds."** He said, not moving from his position at all, except to stop his stopwatch which he pushed with a finger on a button they couldn't see. **"Honestly, I thought you would never show." **Sitting next to him, lying in plain daylight, stood the meteor._


	11. Chapter 11

_**Chapter 11: How I Hate Magicians**_

_**"It's about time you showed up. I was starting to get incredibly bored.**" replied Samas, having been in his throne room for at least two hours now. **"Nonetheless your here. So, shall we discuss the terms of your surrender, or shall I just have to put up an epic fight only to be defeated by the hero of this circumstance." **He then got from his thrown and stood straight up in front of it, looking down at the Cooper Gang like they were just ants compared to him._

**_"We'll surrender when you are out of Egypt and out of this timeline!" _**_Yelled Carmelita, raising her shock pistol to aim at Samas' face._

**_"You must forgive me for this, but this is not your fight Ms. Fox nor those of your gang." _**_Samas then held up one of his hands and suddenly Carmelita, Murray, Bentley, and Vimenhotep were suddenly hurled out of the room, the doors slamming as the last one went. **"There we go. Do forgive me, I try to not to use my abilities when I can, although they do prove to be quite a show of power don't you think?" **__Sly and Slytunkhamen, who had been unable to help the others as they were thrown out of the room buy some power preventing them from moving, were amazed by what they had just seen. Looking back from the doors that had cut them off from their friends, the two saw Samas smiling, like that was only child's play. **"You Coopers always believed yourselves to be the greatest thieves in history. Frankly from what I've seen, you are correct. But just as your family Sly had been known as the greatest thieves, mine have been known as the greatest sorcerers."**_

_**"You parlor tricks and stage stunts won't defeat us." **yelled Sly, twirling his cane preparing for whatever Samas was going to throw at them._

**_"_**_*deep growl* **I assure you Cooper, I have no such thing in store for you."**__  
_

_**"You have dethroned my king, enslaved my people, imprisoned me, and have used your armies to wreak havoc across Egypt. I will make you pay for this!" **yelled Slytunkhamen, unsheathing his twin canes from their holsters._

**_"Oh please, your king was weak and his city a pathetic pit of fools. If I wanted to truly take control of your dear city and country, I would have sent men to execute him at your brother's private fortress and ordered more of my military back from the present day. If anything, this was just a demonstration of what I and those I work with are capable of. Plus defeating you, Slytunkhamen, was just practice for me." _**_said Samas, looking like he had won their battle before it even begun._

**_"How dare you!" _**_Slytunkhamen then twirled his cane like he was about to throw a spear and was arming for the toss._

**_"Slytunkhamen no!" _**_yelled Sly, but it was too late._

_Slytunkhamen had thrown one of his canes, straight at Samas' heart. As the weapon was narrowing in on it's target, it suddenly went right through where Samas had stood, impaling itself on the thrown of the pharaoh. Where Samas was there was a black smoke, as if it had just appeared there out of then air. **"Hmph, a pity." **said Samas, who the two had heard echo across the room from what seemed like nowhere. **"Many people believe magic isn't real, that it's just some cheap parlor trick for entertaining children. I assure you what I do, is know trick." **Suddenly, a moaning gust swept through the room, extinguishing the torches that were hanging on the walls. Going back to back, Sly and Slytunkhamen were prepared for any trick Samas was going to pull. Looking back at the throne, the two saw the cane had disappeared, the mark it left on it when thrown now an empty hole. **"You know, I've heard that the metal used in the canes of the Coopers is made from the same element as this meteor. I think it's time that was put to the test." **Suddenly, Samas had appeared in front of them, cane in hand, and struck the two of them with and overhand swing._

_Working together, Sly and Slytunkhamen had blocked it, their canes crossing as the blade bounced off their combined canes. Samas then attacked again, dealing an onslaught of attacks against both of them at unbelievable speed. Sly and Slytunkhamen knew they needed to find a way to stop this, so when Samas attacked Slytunkhamen, Sly rolled quickly to the side and hooked his cane on one of Samas' legs, tripping him as he went to block an attack by Slytunkhamen. As he fell though, he suddenly teleported again._

_**"Impressive, very few can withstand an assault by me." **they heard him say, again using the darkness as his ally. **"But it doesn't seem fair to leave Slytunkhamen without his full potential. Here, take this back." **Suddenly Slytunkhamen's twin cane came shooting out of the darkness going straight for Slytunkhamen. Acting quickly, he hooked the blade as it reached him with the one in his hand, causing it to spin and crash to the floor. **"Impressive. You learned from our last fight didn't you?"**_

_**"How about you stop hiding in the darkness like a coward and face us like a man!"** yelled Sly, again going back to back with his ancestor to prevent any sneak attacks again._

_**"Very well. Better to see your defeat anyway." **Suddenly the torches were lit all at once and Samas had returned to the throne, holding a torch in one hand. Bringing it to his mouth, he suddenly began blowing the flames at the pair like a flamethrower, making the fire expand and contract to try to get both of them at once. Dodging out of the way, the two had been separated by the flames, quickly getting back together, they were cut short when Samas suddenly summoned a wall of flame between them by slamming the torch he was holding in the ground. **"Ah ah ah, we will not be having that happening again." **Samas then raised his right hand and had conjured up a ball of black smoke and chucked at where Sly stood on the right side of the thrown room. The ball landed with a sizzle noise and it suddenly exploded into a mass mob of black snakes. Sly quickly started to back away from the reptiles but they had quickly surrounded him. Using his cane, he started to bash the snakes as they came to close to him in what was an island amongst a sea of snakes. Samas had his right hand controlling the mob while his left hand he had conjured up a pair of fireballs. He then started to throw them at Slytunkhamen, who had been running to the throne to get Samas as he was concentrating on the mob on Sly's side. Dodging left and right, Slytunkhamen had reached the first step to throne. As he reached Samas, he then dropped his right hand, extinguishing the snakes, to cover up himself with a force field, but was too slow and was whacked on the head by Slytunkhamen. With him now dazed, Slytunkhamen then continued hitting Samas with his canes, dealing damage to him as he stood on one leg. Recovering, Samas then reared up and grabbed Slytunkhamen by the throat and threw him back to the door to the throne room on the left side of the room. Getting up, Samas then teleported again, extinguishing the lights of the room again. **"****Ready for round two?!" **With the fire wall down, the two got back together back to back, waiting to see what he would pull next. **  
**_

_Out of the darkness suddenly a bunch of arrows were being shot out, all aimed at Sly and Slytunkhamen. Blocking them with their canes, the two had parried the arrows with great ease. **"Impressive. But let's see how you fair against this!" **Suddenly the torches were lit again, Samas stood on the throne once more, only this time instead of a torch, he held a a miniature tesla coil sphere in his right hand. Breaking the ball, he suddenly held the power of the electric current in his palm. Aiming at the pair, he suddenly fired a stream of lightning, separating them again. Now raising up a wall of lightning, he conjured another ball of darkness with his left hand and chucked it at Slytunkhamen's side of the room, exploding into a swarm of scorpions. Slytunkhamen pulled the same stunt Sly did and tried to back up from the swarm, but soon was also surrounded and left as an island amongst the scorpions. Thinking like his ancestor, Sly raced up to the throne and was going to knock Samas while he had his hands busy. Using his right hand, Samas started firing a stream of lightning at Sly. Sly jumped and sidestepped the sweeps he made with the lightning, and just as Samas had done before, dropped his other hand to pull up a force field. Again he failed, Sly bashing him on the head and sending him into another daze. Sly then began pummeling Samas with his cane, and just like before, had dealt quite a bit of damage to Samas. Recovering again, he grabbed Sly by the throat as well and chucked him across the right side of the room. Preparing again for another assault in the dark, the two were ready standing next to each other._

**_"You've done well, but let's see how you can manage against my full power!" _**_Again, Samas made the room darken, but this time, he had Sly and Slytunkhamen fight not just arrows, but him as he teleported in and out of them using his own sword. The onslaught of Samas with arrows firing down at them was relentless, but after Sly had parried one of Samas' attacks and had smacked him with the butt of his cane, the lights had returned back on. Samas, now on the throne of a look of not anger, but admiration, had the both his hands shrouded in the dark magic. **"I've only fought with one other person who had come close to beating me. May he rest his soul wherever he may lie." **_

_**"We're not just going to beat you. We're going to make sure you pay for what you've done to these people and Egypt!" **yelled Sly, looking weary after the long fight but still with confidence and strength in his posture._

**_"Heh, we'll see about that young Cooper." _**_Samas then lifted his arms up and raised a wall of dark magic this time separating the Coopers yet again. With them separated he then shot several stream of dark magic at Sly and Slytunkhamen, everywhere they hit the floor disintegrated into a black void. As the pair had swerved around the places where they hit , the voids seemed to be trying to suck them in like a black hole. As Sly past one of the holes, he looked in and saw that they were endless pits of darkness, and looking deeper he could see dark memories of his life resurface in him. **"What you are looking at are the highest grade of magic my family can perform. It is the ability to see into one's soul, what makes them crawl into a ball at night and make them the person they are today." **As he continued trying to take down Sly and Slytunkhamen, the two were having a tougher time getting to him with the pull of the holes and the fact he had now nearly half the throne room in the darkness. Sly had reached the first step leading to the thrown room, while Slytunkhamen had been dragging himself up the second. Samas was now trying to kick the pair of his throne, but as he went for Slytunkhamen, he had grabbed him by the leg and forced him down to the ground. With his concentration broken for a second, Sly and Slytunkhamen had rushed up to the throne. Getting up, Samas was delivered another smack by Sly, which had stun him again. Dazed for the final time, the pair of Coopers together pummeled him with their canes. At last, with the final blow being delivered to Samas with them uniting their canes to deliver a powerful uppercut to Samas, he had crashed into the throne, ending the endless void he had created. Samas was now lying on the throne, dazed but not unconscious._

**_"It's over Samas. You've been beaten, your army now under attack by everyone in Cairo, and your precious meteor is-" _**_as Sly looked over to where they had seen it when they entered, they found it gone, as if it was never there at all. **"How did you do that? There is no way you could have taken it while you were fighting us?" **_

_As Samas looked up at his victor, he smiled the same one he had done so so many time. **"A magician never reveals his secrets. Although you were correct, I didn't take it personally." **Slytunkhamen, getting annoyed of this sorcerer, yanked him off the thrown and held him by his collar._

**_"Enough of your tricks! Where is the meteor?! Why was it so important to your employer? Talk!" _**

**_"Fool," _**_Samas started, **"you think I have been beaten. No, this was never even close to what I am capable of. It was only the distraction. While you were busy trying to fight me, my trusted ally had been taking it away while you were bent on beating me." **He then used the same move he did on the rest of the gang before and pushed Sly and his ancestor back from the throne. Standing up straight again, he looked down at them as they lay on the floor, unable to get up because of the energy they had spent fighting him. **"It has been a pleasure having to spar with you Sly Cooper. You are very much like your father." **He then summoned a portal, out of which stepped out the man in red and black. The Rouge. **"Until we meet again Cooper." **Sly, unable to believe what he just heard, watched as the two of them stepped into the portal, but as it began to close on them, he saw Slytunkhamen stand up with the last bit of strength he had, and throw one of his canes into the portal. The last sound he heard before the rest of the gang barged in and he blacked out, was the sound of Samas screaming in pain._


	12. Chapter 12

_**Chapter 12: The Return**_

_Upon recovering from the battle, Sly had found himself in one of the palace bedrooms. Looking around, he could see the walls were redecorated with pictures of the pharaoh, having purged the city of all reminders of Samas. As he slowly got up from the bed, he felt a sudden pain in his left shoulder. Looking at it, he could see that the shoulder blade as well as most of his lower body were bandaged up. Seeing his cane laying beside his bed, Sly started using it as a walking stick, heading over to the balcony window was outside his room. Arriving at the balcony, he then looked out across the city, seeing the sun rising as a new day and the end of a dark era was over. Looking down toward the lower city, he could see people had returned to their homes and were bustling in the streets, buying goods, chatting with friends, some even playing games. Looking over where the mines had used to be, he could see only a pile of rocks and several boulders piled high over the entrance. As he continued looking out, he suddenly heard someone knocking on his bedroom door._

**_"Sly? Sly are you awake yet?"_**_ It was Murray, sounding a bit like he was in a hurry from the way he was knocking on the door._

**_"Quiet Murray! He may still be resting from the fight." _**_That was Bentley, trying to be as quite as possible in case he was still sleeping. It wasn't that well because he was trying to quite down Murray._

_Walking over to the door with his cane as a walking stick, Sky then unlocked it and opened it wide. He saw Murray and Bentley in the door-frame, and on the edge Vimenhotep leaning against the wall on the side._

**_"Sly!"_**_ The two of them said, racing in to give their pal a hug. Sly, surprised by it, winced in pain as the two grabbed where the bandages were. Vimenhotep, who only peaked in with his head, just gave a questioning look with his eyebrows before leaning back on the wall._

**_"We were so worried about you!" _**_said Murray, leaning back to look at his best friend._

**_"How long was I out?" _**_Sly asked, looking at Bentley for an answer._

**_"About three days. Whatever happened between you two and Samas in that throne room certainly took a beating on you guys. Slytunkhamen is still in bed, but he's awake and well so that's good news. The pharaoh has been cleaning up the city while you two have been resting, the guards he had given to Vimenhotep to use as he see fit, the mines now buried under a pile of rocks." _**_Bentley finished, again having his hands in his pockets like he was grabbing something to make sure it was still there. _

**_"Well that's great. Where's Carmelita at?" _**_Sly asked, leaning on his cane to keep his balance_

**_"She went down into the town to explore the city, now that it isn't being controlled anymore, it actually looks quite nice." _**_ Murray replied, looking quite happy to know they had just saved a whole city._

**_"We should probably let you rest some more. The pharaoh wants to throw a big celebration for party for the ones that stopped Samas. You and Slytunkhamen are the guests of honor." _**_Bentley said, already starting to wheel himself out of Sly's room._

**_"Hey Bentley hold up! With everything that had been going on, I never got the chance to know how you guys found me. Plus you had been picking at that thing in your pocket whenever you weren't busy. Any reason why?"_**_Sly, who had looked at the back of Bentley's head as he said this, saw Murray look at Bentley with a worried look. Bentley, sighing deeply while still looking the other way, reached into his coat pocket and pulled out what looked like a small compass. He wheeled his chair around and had come over to where he was just in front of Sly, not opening his hand to show what was in it._

**_"Sly, you may wanna sit down for this." _**_He started, beckoning Sly toward his bed so he could lay down. He did and after he had got comfortable, listened in on what Bentley was going to say. **"The truth is, we couldn't find you. Where we were, two months had passed after you had disappeared on board Le Paradox's blimp. Two months and we had absolutely know idea where you were. Me, Murray, Carmelita, and everyone else in the gang had scoured the planet for you, and even then we hadn't found even a dust sized hint of where you were."** Sly, a bit shocked at what he had heard, bowed his head in silence, unable to believe he had only arrived here in a few seconds while for them it was two months. **"****During the time we had been looking for you, several thefts had been coming up all over Europe, each marked with your calling card and the initials V.C." **Vimenhotep, who had been watching the halls in case anyone wanted to approach, picked up on this and bent his head in to listen in on what was going to be said next by the turtle. **"Just barely two weeks ago, Carmelita had been kidnapped by someone who claimed to be V.C." **Looking up from his sulk, Sly had anger in his eyes, anger toward anyone who kidnapped his girlfriend. **"Fortunately, he didn't harm Carmelita, nor from the point she made had any intention of harming her, even though he more than said he could. He had said he had been watching us for decades, monitoring us using resources he said were better left secret. As their meeting continued, he then brought up how he could help find you, as well as said where he knew where you were at." **To this, Bentley then opened his hand and showed the compass. Sly, never seeing something like it, picked it up and began to look over, noticing the years of use as well as the cane needle in the middle. Vimenhotep, now peering in the room to see what the turtle had, quickly had a look of surprise on his face, before he just as quickly masked it with a look of interest and amusement. **"He said that this was the key to finding you. He said that it was used to find your family through history. He also said it had been a copy of the one used by Clockwerk." **Sly, now horrified at the object in his hand, dropped it on the carpet floor. Murray, knowing the two were deep in conversation, bent down and picked it up, hanging on to it till they were finished. **"Carmelita, who had been fighting back at V.C the whole way, had said we would never go for it. Normally, she'd be right. But V.C proposed his offer first. In exchange for us using the compass to find you, he offered that, after we had celebrated finding you, that the two of you meet in person. Alone." **Sly, shocked at what Bentley was telling him, had looked up and gave a look that spoke of true bravery and strength._

_**"If he thinks that I'll go willingly, he's got another thing coming."** He then tried to stand up with his cane, but had only gotten up to his shoulder height when Bentley said the words that stopped him dead._

_**"Sly, he said he knew your father. He said he knew Connor Cooper." **Murray, now believing the conversation to be over, had handed Bentley back the compass, which he carefully place back in his pocket. Sly, who hadn't moved after hearing this, then collapsed on the bed. Having now hear two people, one of which could be dead, talk of how they knew his father. It was too much. Laying down, Sly then looked over at Bentley with eyes of pain and hurt._

_**"Bentley, Samas said he knew him too. He said I reminded him of him." **He then started to get comfortable in the bed. Closing his eyes, he then added one final sentence before blacking out again from the lack of energy, and now shock.** "What kind of mess have we gotten ourselves in this time guys." **_

_Murray and Bentley, both looking at Sly knowing he will have to again face his childhood disaster again, looked at each with eyes of worry, before they both left the room to give Sly time to rest. Vimenhotep, who had heard their whole story, simply looked in at the descendant of his brother as he lay in his bed, and wondered if he had one of his own descendants who had gone through the same pain._

* * *

_ As Sly laid in his bed, he dreamed how he returned back to the night his parents had died. It had been almost four hours before authorities had arrived. He had been cooped in his dad's office, to scarred after what he had just seen to come out to the people that were coming through his family's door. As he watched from the shadow of the office door, which he had closed a bit more to hide his body which was pressed against it, he saw photographers coming in to take pictures of the crime scene. He saw several cops looking over the wreckage of what the five invaders had done to his home. As he continued watching the people come and go from his house, he saw one man enter that looked different from the others. He wasn't dressed like a cop, nor had anything that looked like he could be a reporter. He was dressed in a completely black business suit, and had been walking around with what looked like a solid black curved cane. He looked to be around forty-one, three years older than Sly's father, judging by the start of what looked like silver furs coming out of the black fur that covered him. From what Sly could see of him, he looked to be a raccoon like his family, but looked to have done decades of training and practice judging by the way he twirled his cane and the muscle under his of the cops had been gossiping as he was looking around the room, inspecting everything about the house. As he continued walking around, he then walked over to where Sly's mother and father were laid down at, crouching down to examine them. _

**_"What were the names of these two here?" _**_Sly saw him ask one of the nearby guards, who looked to be eating a sprinkled donut._

**_"Connor Cooper and Merry Cooper." _**_said the cop, digging into to his donut again._

**_"Any children?" _**_the man__ asked again, bending down to pick up all that was left of the Thievius Raccoonus. Opening it up, he saw all the pages that had been torn to shreds by the five. Letting a deep sigh, he then put it in his left hand, and continued looking down at the fallen Coopers._

**_"One son, but we have yet to find him anywhere. We think he might have-" _**_The guard was cut short when the man suddenly held up his hand to silence him.__Getting up from the floor with his cane in one hand and the Raccoonus in the other, he then started to look around the room again, this time the guards having gone deathly quiet. Looking around, he spotted a door that had been unopened and had a slight crack in it. A crack with an eye peering out at the people inside. Acting like he didn't notice, he started to walk in the direction of the door, looking around like he had possibly missed something. Seeing as he was starting to get closer to the door, Sly started to back up to were his father's desk was, grabbing his cane that had been lying on the wall next to it. As the man reached the door, he slowly opened it and saw the one child standing in the front of the desk, cane in hand. _

**_"Hello." _**_he said, crouching down so he was at eye level with Sly. He slowly started to extend his right hand, holding the book and his cane in the other, as if to offer a friendly hand shake. Sly, scared out of his mind after what he just saw, started to wave the cane like it was a sword. Bringing his hand back so he wouldn't get hit, the man started to give a little chuckle. **"****Heh, still think these people out here are bad don't you?"** With Sly having stopped waving the cane around, he then reached into his other hand and grabbed the Raccoonus. He then held it out for Sly to see. **"I know that this was going to be the night your father was going to give you this. I'm not him, but I am the closest person that could give the honor of passing it down." **He then put down his cane in the other hand and had both hands on the book, holding it out for Sly to see it better. Sly, not sure to trust the man, put his dad's cane in his right hand, while leaving his left hand open. The man then got down on one knee and got into a pose like he was going to be knighted, holding the book out to Sly like he was the king. Sly, still not sure of the man, slowly had reached his hand out and laid it on the book, cane still in his right in case he got any funny ideas. Looking up from his pose, the man then looked Sly in the eye with a hint of respect and care. **"Now, young Cooper, what is your name?" **he asked. Sly, looking him in the eye as well, said with as much courage as his younger self could, **"Sly Cooper." "Sly Cooper," **he started, **"with the power vested in me, I pronounce you keeper of the Thievius Raccoonus!" **He then let go of the book, which Sly found a bit heavy in the one hand, and stood up. Looking down at Sly, he saw him trying to get a better grip on the book and his dad's cane. Bending down again, he then extended his hand, only this time Sly didn't try to hit it. **"You need some help son." **Sly, looking up at the man, simply gave him his father's cane while holding the book in his left hand. But he didn't let go when the man had a hold on it. **"Now, what's your name then Mr?" **Sly asked, looking him in the eye still with hints of suspicion. The man then bent down and looked at Sly as well in the eye, his with respect and said **"My name, young Cooper, is James Vigilantis. And I, dear boy, am your father's long-lost brother."**_

* * *

_After another few days of resting and getting his strength back together, Sly and Slytunkhamen had returned with renowned strength and a new spirit in their hearts. Upon seeing that two were back in fit condition, the pharaoh had thrown a city-wide celebration to celebrate their heroes win against Samas and his forces. Much of the city had celebrated with parades in the street and parties around every corner. The palace become a grand place of partying and eating as much of the food of the city was being stored in the palace by Samas. Sly and Carmelita had become the center of the stage when the time came for dancing and swaying to the music. When the pharaoh had held up a food eating contest, thousands of citizens had lined up to try and beat Murray in it, who had won nonstop as people came up. Bentley had been challenged numerous times by many of the noblemen and physicians in games of chess and logic. He had crushed with his knowledge from the future. Vimenhotep and Slytunkhamen were the two biggest sights in the sword fighting games. The two had squared off in the finals and had become one of the greatest shows of the night, bouncing off several of the statues and performing grand flips they had both learned growing up. As the night wore on, Slytunkhamen had introduced Sly to his son, Slytunkhamen II, and told him how he had the makings to become a great Cooper in the future. Sly, after hearing this, whispered into the boy's ear of how he would exceed his father's wealth with the idea of a Cooper Vault. The boy had immediately raced off, a big smile on his face with ideas of how he could make one. As the night progressed and the crowd started to die down, the pharaoh had gathered everyone in the people in the ball room, the biggest part in the whole city, almost as big as the mine, though for more nicer. The ceiling expanded nearly twenty meters, the room itself maybe a football field. As the crowd had poured into the room, dozens had looked at the ceiling adorned with brilliant chandeliers and walls covered in dozens of Egyptian art and torches hanging from the statues that separated the dozens of pictures. In the center of the room burned a great fire, where dozens of citizens had crowed around the blaze. _

_**"People of Cairo," **he began, using the stage for the musicians so he could see everyone in the room, **"tonight, we celebrate our victory over the tyrant Samas! And, we celebrate the victors that defeated him! Sly Cooper and Slytunkhamen!" **The crowd began to cheer for the two of them, who had made their way to the stage and were now looking out amongst the crowd with great waves and smiles. **"As a token of the people of the city, we give you all access to whatever supplies you will need to continue the fight to our enemies that Samas was working for. As a token of the royal people of the palace, we give you a mountain of gold to use however you wish." **To this, he then waved his hand to one of the corners of the room, where a massive pile of gold had been laid out for them. **"And as a token from me, I crown you one of my loyal advisers and leaders of my armies. Let us hear it for these two heroes!"**  
_

_**"Hip hip! Hooray!" **The crowd started, as Sly and Slytunkhamen looked out over the people with courage and strength. Soon the gang had gone on stage to join them, and the crowd screamed even louder. **"Hip Hip! Hooray! Hip Hip! Hooray! Hip hi-" **suddenly, all light in the room had gone out._

_The torches on the wall were suddenly cold, the fire in the middle wasn't burning anymore. The people were starting to get frightened, as some started to whisper in panic and mystery. All of a sudden, the fire in the middle had blazed to life! But the flames now burned a bright white, and standing on top of the fire, stood The Rouge._

**_"Mwa hahahaha!"_**_ they heard his changed voice say, spreading fear and panic amongst the people. **"Fools! Celebrating like you have won the war! This is only just the breeze before the storm! You think that your safe! That just because you have defeated our man means that the battle is won!" **He then looked around the crowd, giving the feeling like he was staring at every one in the room as his gaze swept the palace. **"Samas was only one of many of the men we have in our possession! He was only the match that will light the fuse! And I assure you."** He then looked up to where the gang stood on the stage, staring at them what seemed like all at once when he had his sights set on one person. Slytunkhamen. **"****The fuse has been lit!" **Suddenly, he pulled out the twin cane of Slytunkhamen, and had thrown it sailing across the room...toward the pharaoh. **"Let those I work for send their regards!" **Acting quickly, Vimenhotep had grabbed the pharaoh and together jumped out of the way, right when the cane sailed over them and impaled itself in the concrete wall. **"Mwa hahahaha!" **Suddenly, the fire then consumed The Rouge and all the wood that surrounded it, setting the entire room a lit! When the light calmed down, The Rouge was gone, and the fire had burned back out. One by one the lights started to return on their own, the people now terrified of what they just saw. **  
**_

**_"You need to get back to the present now." _**_said Slytunkhamen, who had walked over and had pulled his now returned cane from the wall. **"If you don't leave now it may be too late to stop them for whatever it is their planning." **He successfully pulled the cane out of the wall and had made his way back to them._

**_"What about them? We can't just leave them like this." _**_Said Sly looking out over the people after what had just happened._

**_"We can take care of the people."_**_ Said Vimenhotep, who had walked back on stage.**"My brother is right. You must leave before any other harm can come from these fools."**_

_**"Okay. It has been a pleasure to have met you two." **Sly then held his hand out to Slytunkhamen, who took it graciously. He did it again with Vimenhotep, but he only shewed it away and encouraged them to go._

_Leaving quickly, the gang had made a run back to their hideout. Upon arriving, Murray had immediately jumped into the drivers seat, Sly in Passenger, and Carmelita and Bentley in the back. Setting the time back to present day, the gang was once again hurled through time and space._

* * *

_Upon arriving back in the present, the two had returned to the Cooper Vault on Kaine Island. Jumping out of the van, the gang was met by sudden alarms going on and off, as well as dozen of security systems having been activated. Bentley quickly pulling out his computer, had quickly shut down the security systems and looked into what had activated them. What he found made him jump out of his shell._

**_"Sly, get over here quick." _**_Sly and the gang had rushed over to what Bentley was getting worried about and had looked over his shoulder at what was coming up on the screen. **"After you entrusted me with the Thievius Raccoonus, I felt I needed to store it in the greatest security system out there. The Cooper Vault itself. But these alarms and security measure are only activated when it has been open, but it can only be opened by a Cooper." **As he rushed over to what looked like an express lift, the gang was suddenly following Bentley as they were taken higher and higher to the peak of the island where the vault entrance was located at. Upon arriving, they found it had been opened not by force, but by the real key. A Cooper Cane. Rushing in now even faster, the gang was taking turns left and right to try to keep up where Bentley was going. As they continued deeper into the vault, they had come to a door sealed just like the Cooper one outside, but rather than it have a cane as a key, it had scanner in the form of a needle and a small tube._

_**"Sly, quickly! I designed this lock to only be opened by those that actually have the Cooper blood in them! Prick your finger on the needle!" **Not wasting time, Sly had run up and tapped his figure in the needle. As the blood dropped into the tube below, the doors were suddenly unlocked and were slowly slung open. As the gang peered inside the dark room, they could see an abandoned book stand in the middle. But on this book stand, their was no Thievius Raccoonus, but a letter, and on top of the letter lay a Cooper masked, written on by some black pen. Their were only five words, but everyone of them lead to the inevitable conclusion._

**We Need To Talk. -V.C**


	13. Chapter 13

Guess who's back! Sorry for long wait. Me and the family have been moving and having a couple of parties for whaling days, plus I thought it would be a mean little twist to leave you guys off with a nice little cliffhanger. Anyway, love the amount of viewers and people following this story. I have big plans for this and a revelation you won't want to miss for the series. I would like to point out again this may or may not be the actual title, cover picture, and story for the fifth if not final Sly Cooper game. Also, I love fan input and idea, so if you have a cool if not fun twist for the story, I do have a message inbox. This is going to be a looooong chapter, so your gonna want to get comfy. But you all have waited long enough for this meeting between our hero and the mysterious V.C, so let's get to it!

* * *

_**Chapter 13: Answers**_

_After the gang had arrived from ancient Egypt and had opened the vault to the Thievius Raccoonus, they found the book gone and a note and calling card left from V.C. Upon walking up to where the two items lay on the book-stand, Sly had opened the note left by the stranger and had held it up so they could all read and see what it said._

**Sly Cooper,**

** By now, you must have returned from the past and have opened the vault of your Cooper Clan. I hope your success in defeating Samas was well cared for and celebrated greatly. By now you must have been told of how your friends were unable to find you for nearly two months, and that they were need of some...outside help. You must now realized that you and your gang have been pulled into a conspiracy of great need and importance, with Samas and The Rouge being two of the many agents the enemy may have. Answers are in order, and I can give you them. Meet me at my headquarters in New York City, you and your gang know of it well as we have provided much of the tech and resources your dear friend Bentley has used over the years. To come is optional, to not is unlikely. You need answers, and I can help you with them. You can pretend to come alone if you wish, but I know very well you well have your gang close at hand. Know this. You and your gang are now enemies of the organization Samas and The Rouge worked for, and if they could provide the two of them with such an army for conquering Cairo and almost all of Egypt, they will certainly have much more at their disposal. You know where I am. Come and get me.**

**-V.C**

_With the note now read, the gang knew they had a choice to make. Do they follow V.C and meet him at his base in New York, or do they run from those he spoke of, the ones who hired Samas and The Rouge. Bentley, looking very surprised at where V.C told them to meet him, only pulled out his laptop and started searching restlessly. Carmelita, having had met the man in person, was the first to go against it, saying how he was too unpredictable and that we had know idea who or what his motives are. Murray, having believed that he was very helpful in getting them to find Sly, agreed to meet him, most likely because he still wanted to put a few punched in him for kidnapping Carmelita. Bentley, who had remained silent as they argued, only kept researching online, whatever it was must have been incredibly urgent if he didn't want a say in the matter. In the end, the decision was left to Sly. Sly, having never heard of him or even met him, was in a tough decision. On one hand, he knew that if they declined V.C's invitation, the ones who had hired Samas and The Rouge would go after them and they knew that was going to be impossible to hide from with the resources they the other, they would need to meet this V.C in person, whom they had know idea if he was friend or foe. Looking back at the note, Sly knew he had to make a decision, and he knew the only option they could take, was the one left by V.C._

* * *

_ As the gang traveled to America, Bentley had remained quite the whole way. Finally, after they had dropped down in New York, he spoke up of what he had been looking into the whole time. He had been looking at what V.C had meant by that he had provided for them their tech and resources. Bentley said how he always got the best they could afford for their heist and robberies, and all of them belonged to a organization called Overseer Industries, O.S.I for short. The organization was responsible for providing most if not all technology, machinery, and weaponry in the Americas, and have been considered one of greatest companies in the world. The leader of the organization, a man by the name of __James Vigilantis_, was considered one of the richest men on the planet, but never showed himself in public. Upon hearing this, Sly then had a flashback of the man that appeared at his parents house the day they died, a man who said he was of the same name. Sly was suddenly lost back in his past as Bentley continued to explain the company and who they were and what they did.

* * *

_After he had been found by the man and given the Thievius Raccoonus, Sly was then escorted out of his dad's office, him holding the book and the man holding his father's cane. As Sly was walking past the many cops that were there, he kept looking back at the man who had called himself his father's brother. Sly had never heard his father speak of having a brother, or any relative of his for that matter. He often spoke of how his parents had traveled around the world, robbing banks and museums and sabotaging other criminals and thieves. As Sly was passing over where his parents lay, he looked down at their lifeless bodies, hoping, praying, that they were just sleeping, and that any moment they would wake up and pretend everything was okay. As he kept looking down, he heard the man named James Vigilantis come up from behind him. He felt him lay a comforting hand on his shoulder. **"He was a great man." **he started, **"Although we never met in person, he and I always had a way of looking out for each other. We always knew the other was there looking out for us from afar, even if we didn't see or even know they were there."** James then patted Sly on the back and encouraged him to turn the other way and continue walking out of his home. As Sly had reached his front door, he looked out his front lawn and saw a black limo parked on the curve. In front stood a panther dressed in a typical butler outfit, seeing Sly coming out of the door, he then opened one of the back passenger doors and motioned for Sly to come in. Sly, still not having moved from the doorstep, looked back at where James was in the house, talking from what Sly could see was the captain of the cops on the crime scene. **"I want these two to be taken out carefully and with great care." **He said to the captain, Sly assuming he was talking about his parents. **"I will pay for the funeral myself. Am I clear captain?" **The captain, who had been chewing a hot dog during the conversation, only nodded his head yes before moving on over to the bodies. James then continued on to the door, and seeing Sly there, motioned him to continue. With Sly now leaving his house, he looked back at the place that used to be his home, knowing he may never see it again. He then got in the limo, James following him, and the pair had drove off from his home._

* * *

_**"Sly. Sly!" **Sly was suddenly startled awake form his fantasy when he saw Carmelita and Bentley looking over at him with looks worry. He saw that they were at their van, Murray loading up their luggage as the two had looked at Sly with hints of worry and concern. **"Sly, are you okay? You looked like you had seen a ghost?" **asked Carmelita, placing a caring hand on his shoulder._

_**"What? No, no I'm okay guys." **they weren't buying it, **"Really! I'm just tired, that's all. The fight with Samas must still be taking it's toll on me."**_

_**"Well...okay." **Carmelita then took her hand off of him and the gang had then got in the van. **"We found where V.C was talking about. It's right in front of the Empire State Building. Or rather, it is the Empire State Building. The building was paid for by O.S.I during construction, and after all the other companies that had supported it had gone bankrupt, it was then given to them as a token of thanks by the people of New York. V.C said to meet him inside the building, so we're going to ask for him at the front desk. Nicely," **Carmelita then cocked her shock pistol, **"or forcefully."**_

* * *

_Once the gang had arrived at the Empire State Building, they were greeted by two wolves, both of which Carmelita recognized. _

**_"You two!" _**_she said, pulling out her pistol and aiming it right at one of them, Dug if she could remember. **"You won't capture me again!"**_

_**"Easy Ms. Fox. We were sent to escort you to the boss." **said the one Carmelita remembered as Frank, taking a step forward with his hands raised. **"The boss, just as before, doesn't wish for you lot to be harmed, but he has authorized us to sedate if it comes to that. Please let it come to that."**_

_**"You won't get the chance to!" **She then aimed her pistol at Frank, but he only smiled and put his arms down like it was pop gun. **"What are you so happy about?"**_

_**"Ms. fox, the boss is watching you as we speak. He won't mind if we have to disarm you like before, and you forget, this is his building." **Suddenly the gang was surrounded by wolves, all dressed in SWAT suits and had guns raised at the gang. Carmelita, who had been infuriated again knowing she had been captured again by the pair, threw her pistol down in rage, earning quizzical looks from the gang as well as a few guards. She then crossed her arms in rage, and upon seeing a motion form Frank, kicked her pistol over to him. He then bent down and picked up the pistol. **"Thank you. Now, if you would be kind enough to follow me." **He then turned around and escorted the gang to the elevators. Pushing one of the up buttons, he turned around and looked at the gang with a smug look, like he had just beaten them even though they had done nothing. When the elevator had arrived, the gang was about to go inside when Frank suddenly stopped them. **"No. The boss wants to see him and him alone."** He then pointed at Sly, who had been hiding behind Murray.** "When he's finished, he'll call the rest of you up so he can talk to all of you at once." **He then went into the elevator, Dug following close behind, and waited for Sly to step forward. Sly moved around Murray, and standing as straight as he could, he walked into the elevator, showing not a hint of fear at way lay ahead. As the elevator doors closed, Sly glanced over and saw that their were one-hundred and two floors in the building. This is going to take awhile. He then laid back on the back wall of the elevator, and returned back to the flashback he was having earlier._

* * *

_After he had entered the limo with James, Sly saw that their were two others inside it next to himself, James, and the driver. He sat at the rear right side of the car, across from him sat James. Looking next to him, he could see a another boy. From what he could tell, he looked to be older than him, and looked remarkably like himself. His fur was the same color as James, and he appeared to be dressed in a black leather jacket and jeans. Upon seeing Sly looking at him, the boy had extended his hand in a handshake. **"Sly, this is my son Davious. He is two years older than you, and is in training just like you. Maybe one day the two of you may work together." **Sly, upon hearing this, reached out and took his handshake in gratitude. The boy then leaned back in his chair and looked out the window. As Sly looked over at the person sitting next to James, Sly couldn't see who it was. From what he could tell, he was tall, and looked to be dressed in some kind of white suit. **"Sly, this is one of my closest friends. He didn't want me to tell you his name in hopes that you may one day learn it on your own, but he did know your father and had helped him out on a few thefts." **The man then extended his hand as well, to which Sly could see he had worn gloves over them. Sly took his handshake as well._

_As they continued to drive on, Sly noticed that James and his friend had been talking about something very seriously. Whatever it was, Sly couldn't understand, because they were speaking in some language he had never heard before. Davious, looking over at Sly's questioning look, said how he didn't know what they were saying either, and that he had been around them longer than he had. The two then laughed at how ridiculous they sounded, making weird squeaks and growls like they were nuts, and had laughed and talked the rest of the way. Davious then asked about what was Thievius Raccoonus, since his father never told him about it. Sly pulled out the book, this being the first time he would look at it without his father, and showed it to him. The two would look through what little remained along the rest of the drive, each reading and deciphering parts of it that were still intact. As they had nearly finished reading it, the limo then pulled up to a large building Sly could see on the right side. In front of the building lay a sign with the words Happy Camper Orphanage. With the car now stopped, Sly saw the driver hop out and come around and open the right side door, James coming out to look at the building, Sly's father cane in hand. He then looked back in the car, muttering something in whatever language he and his companion were speaking, and helped Sly out of the car. As Sly looked up at the tall and ominous building, he turned and saw James had gotten down on one knee again and was looking at Sly dead in the eye.  
_

**_"I am afraid this may be the only if not last time we meet." _**_H__e then hung out the cane, to which Sly grabbed and left hanging from the side of his left hand. **"You will be in safe hands here, and under the protection of my company while you stay. In time, you may prove to be greater than your father, something I knew he looked forward too." **He then offered Sly one final handshake, to which Sly only grabbed and nodded with regret. That would be the last he ever would see the bunch._

* * *

_**"We're here." **Sly was suddenly thrown back into the present as the wolves grabbed Sly by both arms and brought him into the room. Sly could only watch as one of them disarmed his cane from it's back sheathe and leave the room. He was suddenly thrown in a waiting chair, and watched as the other guard went off after the other one. He was in a waiting room, colored in a black and red tone to it. Looking around, he could see a few plants in some of the rooms corners, all of which looked very healthy and well cared for. He saw he was sitting on a black sofa, quite comfy actually considering he had his propped on one end and his feet on the other. He saw a lady sitting in behind a desk in front of two deep black doors. She looked to be typing on her computer furiously and trying to answer the phone at the same time. She had a bunch of papers laid out on her desk and had several colored pens on them as well. Looking up from her desk, she looked at Sly with a look of surprise, as if she had never noticed the two guards drag him in and throw him in the chair. As she went back to her computer, one of the guards suddenly came out of the black doors and had held it open. **"He's ready to see you."**_

_Sly got up from his chair, knowing this was the moment the group had waited for on this whole trip. He walked over to the door, glancing at the guard as he entered the room. It was slightly different as Carmelita had described the one in Paris. It still had the same color scheme, as well as an observation window on the side behind the desk was located. The desk in the middle had looked the same as the one in Paris, but this one was quit clear of anything on the desk. Standing behind it though, Sly saw someone looking out the window behind where the desk was positioned, twirling his cane in one hand. **"Sly Cooper."** He said, still twirling his cane like it was a baton and still looking out the window. **"Do you have any idea how long it's been since I have waited to see you?" **He suddenly stopped twirling Sly's cane, stopping it with professional skill. Just as before, he looked to be wearing a black and blue business outfit. Sly could see that had black and dark grey fur, and that his tail looked remarkably like his own, but far darker where his fur was lighter. He looked to be of about twenty-six, two years older than sly and maybe older than Carmelita from the look of it. He had muscle underneath the suit Sly could see, not enough to be a brute, but definitely enough to be able to rival his own. He then turned away from the widow and walked around his desk so he could stand in the front. With his face now visible, Sly could see that he did look like the same James Vigilantis that had found him as a boy, but something was different._

**_"You are not James Vigilantis."_**_ Sly said, eyeing his cane that V.C had carried over._

**_"Really? And why is that?" _**_V.C then twirled Sly's cane around and placed it right in front of him, having both his hands rest on the cane's tip like it was a walking stick._

**_"Because I watched him die."_**

* * *

_ It was only a few weeks after Sly had first met him. He had met and befriended Murray and Bentley only a few days after he had been dropped off at the orphanage. During that time, he had watched the news as well as look online to see if there had been any sightings off him over the next couple of days. After he had made his appearance at Sly's house, he had disappeared again, as if he had never existed in the first place. Sly didn't even see him at his parents funeral, who he had been taken to by the same driver who had picked him up at the murdering. For the next few weeks, he had just forgot about it, hanging out with Bentley and Murray and planning and having fun in the orphanage. It wasn't until he and the gang had planned their first heist that he had heard the name come up again. _

_It was a simple job most kids do when they know where it's at. Steal the family cookie jar. The gang had found it in Ms. Puffin's office, the head of the orphanage and a mean old lady of which the gang had much fun with, and the gang had planned for a way to steal it ever since. It was a few days later when the group would make a plan and steal it for good, a plan Bentley had called 'The Cookie-Stealin Plan'. It was actually pretty well thought through. As Sly would sneak into her office during the five minute period the janitors come, he would grab the cookie jar, slide down the rope he would hook in place at her window, and Murray, who would wait outside the window holding the rope and cart for their get away, and race off into the night with the cache. What Sly couldn't expect was what else was in her office. As he snuck in, Sly noticed Ms. Puffin had left the T.V on in one of her office's corners. Dismissing it as nothing important on, Sly had grabbed the jar and had tied and thrown the rope out the window, but just as he was about to slide down it, he heard the breaking news story he would never forget. _

**_"Breaking News!"_**_ Sly heard while still dangling by the window of Ms. Puffins office. **"A car accident has occurred on route 101. The car, one of many limo's belonging to rich business leader James Vigilantis," **Sly had hoisted himself up back through the window to hear this, **"was found carrying the bodies of the James, his wife and child, one of their employees,and their driver." **An image of a limo crashed on a tree was shown on the screen, much fire coming from the engine and the passenger doors. **"****Reports are coming in that the vehicle was sabotaged by an unknown accomplice, a name of which has not**__** b**__**een confirmed yet. The driver appears to have been drugged at some point, and during the same time the car had been found with evidence of a fuel leak. The only survivors appear to be-" **Sly didn't have enough time to hear the rest of the story, as he heard one of the janitors coming back down the hallways. Jumping back out the window, he had slid down the rope and met up with Bentley and Murray, and the three had ran off into the night celebrating their first ever heist. Sly, however, was saddened during the celebration knowing he had just lost the only family he may, or may not, have known._

* * *

_V.C, having not showed any hints of sadness or remorse toward Sly's story, only looked up at him and smiled. He then tossed Sly back his cane, which he skillfully grabbed and began to twirl for an attack. But nothing happened. _

**_"Do you always believe what you see on television?" _**_V.C asked, looking at Sly with a curious glance._

**_"I wasn't there, and I was only eight. Back then, I would have believed anything I saw on a television screen. But that doesn't answer my question of who are you, or how you know about us and what you intend to do?"_**

**_"Hah! Right to the point I see. Very well. What would you like to know first?" _**_V.C then leaned against his desk, placing his arms on the edges waiting for the first question._

**_"Who are you?" _**_Sly asked, sheathing his cane behind his back and crossing his arms for an answer._

_V.C, looking down at his floor, had pondered the answer for awhile. At last, he looked up and answered him with question. **"Who was it that you first opened the Thievius Raccoonus for?**_

_Sly remembered that he had first opened it when he had met Davious, both wanting to see what lay inside the book. **"Davious, James Vigilantis' son. He and I had both never seen the Thievius Raccoonus before, and I thought it would make since to open it up to to relative whom was almost the same age. He died in the car crash though." **_

_**"...Did he?" **V.C then got up and walked around to his desk. He then opened one of the top drawers, something Sly could tell was heavily guarded from the amount of clicks and whistles that came from the locks opening, and pulled out a book. Except, it wasn't a book. It was the Thievius Raccoonus! **"I once told you how my father never explained to me what this book was, nor it's importance in the family." **He then carried it back around to the front of the desk and had presented it back to Sly. **"For nearly twenty years, I had wondered what this book had contained after we first read it that night. Now, twenty years later, the answers have presented themselves, to you and to me." **He then held it out to Sly, whom had been pondering what V.C was talking about. Taking the book, Sly then realized who he had been talking too this whole time.**  
**_

**_"Davious? Davious Vigilantis?" _**_Sly asked, looking up at his host for the answer he had wondered about all his life but never thought he would hear it._

**_"Davious Cooper, Sly."_**_ He said, looking up at Sly with a smile that he hadn't had for a long time. He then got up from the desk and walked over to Sly, looking at him this time with a view of recognition and long-lost happiness. **"**_**_Good to see you cuz." _**

_Sly, unable to believe that his only relative was alive and standing right in front of him, had began to laugh at the fact he had thought he was all alone in his family, but had been watched out for the entire time. Davious, not remembering the last time he had a a laugh of joy and not of dark intent, laughed with him. The two then looked at each other fully, each looking at the other now with recognition and of good will. **"You look like your father." **They both said, quite surprised that they had the same thoughts about each other and their parents._

**_"But how could you be alive, and why haven't you tried to reconnect with me over the years." _**_Sly asked, he now sitting in one of the chairs surrounding Davious' desk, him in his own behind it._

**_"During the crash, my father and his friend had protected me from the full blast of the blaze. Knowing it was his end, he told me one last thing before he burned, 'Wait until the time is right'. For weeks I wondered what he meant, until the truth came in the form of a letter from the orphanage we took you to after the night your parents died. I knew then that he wanted me to keep up the appearance I was gone and that you were the only Cooper alive. I would use this time to expand my father's company to all of America and some of the Europe. He hoped that one day, you and I could meet again when the world was safe, or in terrible danger." _**_D__avious concluded, smiling at how strange it had been keeping something so big under wraps from the one person he could tell._

**_"But why? Why didn't you help us whenever you could? With everything you have here, we could have had an army to back us up in our fights against the criminals that were around the world." _**_Sly asked, thinking Davious' father must have had some dream to keep the two of them apart for twenty years._

**_"I did, although it wasn't as big as I wanted it to be. It was my technology that allowed you guys to pull off so many thefts and robberies. It was also thanks to many of my spies and agents that helped Bentley acquire much of the help on criminals he needed. I also had a few agents in Interpol, who would keep the police distracted on something less heroic than a gang of master thieves. " _**_Davious said, looking a little sad he could have done way more than that to help his cousin._

**_"Why did you call yourself V.C though and had called yourself by your father's name in public? I mean, your his son after all, why would the public care for who's running O.S.I?" _**_Sly asked again. He had so many questions that needed to be answered, but knew he had to focus on the more important ones._

**_"V.C was the initials of my ancestor. You actually have already met him. A raccoon, by the name of Vimenhotep Cooper."_**

_Sly was surprised a little by this, expected something more common or present day. **"What do you mean?"**_

_**"Just as your family are descendants of Slytunkhamen, mine were from his brother Vimenhotep Cooper. As such, we come from two long lines of Master thieves." **Davious was going to add something more, but he had quickly closed his mouth before anything could come out._

_**"The night your father found me, he said he and and my father were brothers. Do you know how and why?" **Davious, looking a bit uncomfortable with the question, but only nodded his head and began to explain.  
_

**_"The reason because my father and yours are stepbrothers is because their mother, our grandmother, are actually the same. In her travels as a young girl, she had come across my grandfather, who back then had only run a small underworld criminal operation. The two were married, and in their time together, harbored my father. Later on, she began to realize who her husband really was, and after much sadness and pleading from my father not to leave, had left them. As time progressed, she fell in love with your grandfather, who had been a well respected man in his city for caring for the poor and robbing from the rich. Soon the two were married and your father came along. However, he had never known of his brother until he had also been given the Thievius Raccoonus, by this time my father had inherited my grandfather's company and had already started laying down the foundation for the company I rule today. It would be years before the two had full knowledge of the other's existence, and by then the two had already begun to sabotage and help the others work. My father never got into detail of their relationship, but he always said he respected him, and yours him." _**_Davious then slouched in his chair, surprised at how tired he was at telling that story. _

**_"Wow. I never knew about my grandmother's relationship with my father, only that he loved her and her him." _**_The two then both looked surprise at how short everything had come out already, Davious actually saying he thought this might have taken longer than he thought. **"Their is still the final matter we have yet to discuss. Why you have called us here and now?"**__  
_

_**"Yes, and for that, I believe it is time we bring in your friends." **He then leaned over and picked up his phone and asked for the front desk lady to bring up the Cooper gang. A short while later, after the two had talked about how the other had been over the past twenty years, Bentley, Murray, and Carmelita had walked in. Murray and Bentley walking casually in, Carmelita being carried by two SWAT wolves, both looking annoyed. After the crew had been settled in and Sly told them who Davious was, Davious then began why he had brought them all here, and why it was time for them to unite against their foe._

* * *

I really need everyone's opinion on this chapter and the next one because they are going to be one of the key moments in this story. If their is also errors on other chapters that would help, but these two are important.


	14. Quick Notice

_**Hey O!**_

How has everyone been? Good? Great? Hope your summer has been going well. I have been very busy for the past few weeks, what with school starting, summer vacation planning, and relatives :(

But, I'm Back Now ;)

So, as you've previously read, we are about to learn of the villains in this story, two of which you have already been introduced too (Samas & The Rouge), as well as the head villain who will be coming up in this next chapter. But, I am having trouble coming up with names as well as what animals have yet been introduced in the series. So, I would like to start the first of hopefully many fan ideas to include!

Basicaly, the fans (you guys) post ideas and/or characters you think would be cool that have yet been done in the stories in the comments. And I, as well as optional help from you guys if you have ideas you would like to really bring out there, will make that person or idea come to life in the story. I really like to hear what the readers and fans have to say, because a story is only as good as the ones who read it. So, you can, if you are wanting of course, post ideas or characters in the reviews section of the previous chapter. Or, if you really, really, really want to have it be included or added in the story, can private message me.

This is only the beginning though of two, thats right, TWO books, if not possible games, I have ideas for. So, although the story is great and going to be better, I need help crafting and making the characters. They can be good, or the can be bad, either is up to you.

The only challenge of this, have one by Tuesday, August 27th, if you want to of course. I have plans for villains as well as twists and turns of the story, but I really would love to hear fan opinon. So, you have the chance to help make a story come to life. My only question to you is, do you want to?

Sly Cooper: Master of Thieves, will continue August 27th, 2013. Answers will come to light. :)


	15. Chapter 14

It is 12:00 at night and I am righting this, just as I said I would, though starting to wish I had done so sooner. So, I looked at everyone's suggestions, and guess what? Their were none! I'd like to feel a little hurt that no one suggested anything, but I am not. If anything, I am a bit surprised. I would have thought the chance to make your very own Sly Cooper character would be exciting for fans. But I did suggest you guys send me one, but that's fine. Guess I'll have to go through with my original plan. But enough talk! I've kept you guys waiting long enough, so let's get to it!

* * *

_**Chapter 14: The Enemy Of My Enemy...**_

_As the gang began to get comfy and be seated, Davious walked around to his desk and sat down in his chair._

**_"As you all know,"_**_ he began, **"you have just sabatoged an operation to a gang of thugs of which none of you have heard of. As you have seen, the two of which you have met, Samas and The Rouge, were two out of the ten that make up this gang's inner circle. The name of this gang, or at least the one the world knows them as, is the The Shadows." **Too this, Carmelita started to laugh at who Davious was talking about, thinking it was some histerical joke._

**_"The Shadows? They are a myth. An excuse small thugs come up with to escape jail time."_**

**_"And what ever gave you that idea Ms. Fox?" _**_Davious asked, placing his hands on his desk like he was a teacher awaiting an answer from a student._

**_"Um, maybe because that they're not real? That a crime ring that controls not only the world's crime, but has agents in every possible place on the planet, from the tiniest shopping stand to places as secure as The Pentagon. It's impossible." _**_she then started to laugh, but died down that everyone else in the room was completly quiet, to serious to laugh at something as ridiculous as a world wide crime ring._

**_"Really?" _**_Davious said, putting his fingers down like he was typing on a keyboard, something Sly had strangly noticed he didn't have on his desk. **"They beg to disagree."**_

_**"And who are they, might I ask?" **Said Carmelita in a mocking manner._

**_"The Shadows." _**_Davious then had a keybord appear on his desk, although more of in his desk, as it was actually a flatscreen he had for the top of the desk, and currently on that screen was a red keyboard, but before the crew could get a better look, suddenly a holgraphic projection had appeared above where the desk was._

* * *

_From what the gang could tell, it was a meeting room, detailed down to the color of the walls and the floor, to the tiny pen that set at the head chair. As the gang watched, eight people were sitting around the desk that took up the room. From what they could tell, two were missing from the meeting, as their was only two out of the eight chairs that filled it not filled in. The eight, they could tell, were growing very impatient and agitated, as many of them were starting to squirm in their chairs and trying to refind a comfortable position. All of a sudden, a massive hand had slammed into the desk from the right side middle seat, quieting the room down._

**_"Where are they!" _**_They heard the one who slammed his hand down demand. He was immensly tall, and looked to be made of nothing but muscle. He was a jaguar, and he looked to be dressed like he was from a roman army. **"Those two are always late, and the more they are, the more impatient I get with them!"**_

_**"Calm yourself Leon." **They gang saw someone say from across where the one called Leon was sitting. He was a cobra with arms and legs, though he looked to be dressed in a doctors outfit, but rather it be in white, it was in black. **"Or do you require another one of my higher dosages again?"**_

_**"Watch it Scicero. Or do you want me to tie you up like I did during the last meeting?" **The jaguar responded, demonstrating by pretending to tie a hangman's knot. _

**_"I'm with Leon on this. These two are starting to annoy me as well." _**_Someone said two seats to the right of Leon. Looking over, the gang saw he was a turtle, but meaner than Bentley bigtime. He was a big aligator snapping turtle, and covering him was what looked to be a hazmat suit._

**_"When do you not ?" _**_Another one said, this time to the right where Scicero was sitting. He was a silverback gorilla, and he was dressed in what looked to be a classic mafia outfit. **"You're always agreeing with Leon, Havers, probably because you know what he does to people like you." **To this, the gorilla started to laugh cruelly._

**_"_**_*__gulp***No, I just, uh, think he's quite correct on them Sal. They are always late to these meetings. Miller will agree with me, right Miller?" **The turtle then bent his head in, looking down his side of the table, to the right where the person who stood at the head was. It was a blue spotted gecko, and to Haver's nervousness, was listening to something with his headphones in. Pulling back his head, he then leaned back in his chair and decided to not speak until the other guests arrived. _

**_"Ha ha ha!" _**_Said someone to the left of Scicero. He was a kangaroo, and from what the gang could tell, he looked like he belonged at a circus, wearing a ringmaster outfit. **"Oh, the things that happen at these meetings! I outta take notes some time." **He said, acting like he was writing down something on an invisible notebook._

**_"Zip it Jake!" _**_Sal said,__looking down the row to see if he had._

**_"Ooo, did I hit a nerve Sal? Would you like something to cool you down?" _**_Said Jake, laughing at his insult, even though it wasn't that good._

**_"Uh, I had better luck in the Cooper Gang." _**_Said a small but recognizable voice._

_After hearing that, the crew then stood up out of their seats to see if who it was that spoke up was indeed who they thought. Sure enough, there, sitting to the left of Jake, sat Penelope, now in her newly bought mechanic outfit, something they could tell must have been expensive from all the pockets and tools that she had stored in, as well as the fact that it was without a spot of ink or sludge._

**_"Enough! All of you!" _**_Said someone who hadn't spoken up out of the eight that were there. It was the last person at the seats, the one at the head of the table. From what they could see, he was a little bit bigger than Leon, but looked to be far more menacing. He looked to have black fur, and had the look of an owl. **"They are here now!"**_

_As the group went dead silent, they could indeed here the sounds of footsteps. But from the sound of it, it wasn't two people that were walking. They heard the sound of one, and as he entered the room, the gang took a step back, which was foolish cause their seats were there, and as they callapsed into them, they heard the voice that had paid them a visit hours ago._

**_"So, what did I miss?" _**_the Rouge asked._

**_"Ah, the prodigal son returns!" _**_Leon said, not caring to hide his sarcasim. **"But wait, their's only one of you? Where is Samas?"**_

_As everyone at the table turned to look at him, The Rouge only walked over to his seat, everyone watching him as he went, and sat down between Leon and Havers. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a stopwatch, and had set it down an arms length from his seat of the table._

**_"...Shame. I had admired him." _**_Leon said, some at the table looking quite surprised at his compliment. **"The man was a true soldier, and his talents were unreplacable. Who did it might I ask?" **He said, looking down at The Rouge for an answer._

_Still not speaking, he reached into his cloak, and had pulled out the twin of Slytunkhamen's cane, and had stabbed it, right in the middle of the table for all too see. Penelope, a bit shocked by this, turned her head so none could see her reaction. Miller, now having taken out his headphones after The Rouge had entered, only bowed his head in silence. As the rest of the table did the same, the head of the table spoke up amongst the sorrow. **"Pity, I still had use for him." **He said, not a hint of sorrow in his voice. **"No matter. The pawns tend to die first on the chessboard anyway, as I was taught years ago by my brother. Was he a success in Cairo?"**_

_The Rouge, not showing a hint of sorrow or anger at the leader's remark, only said yes before leaning back in his chair to ponder his thoughts._

**_"Excellent. Now we begin the next stage of the plan, but first, Miller, hack our dear spies camera feed so we can continue."_**

_The one called Miller pulled out his phone, and as the crime ring looked to where the hologram's angle was being shown from, the last thing the gang saw, was the hate and vengence on all of their faces. Except one, who only continued leaning back in his chair, and smiled._

* * *

_As the hologram was suddenly cut off, Davious then got up and walked around to the front of his desk._

**_"So, Ms. Fox, do you still think their just a myth?"_**


	16. Chapter 15

_**Chapter 15: Debriefing**_

_**"As you can see Ms. Fox, The Shadows are real, and now they are wanting revenge for your sabotage in Cairo and the unfortunate end to Samas." **Davious said, still leaning on his desk overlooking the gang._

**_"Oh please. That could have been anyone." _**_Said Carmelita, again not believing such an organization could possibly exist. **"For all we know, they could just be a bunch of thugs that you simply want gone. How do you know they are The Shadows?"**_

_**"For one, how many organizations do you know are capable of massing an army to take control of all of Cairo. Also, if they weren't the Shadows, then who do you think they possibly are Ms. Fox? Each and every one of those members you saw there are wanted across the globe, some more than others. The Shadows are the elite of the elite, the best of the best, and one can only join in person. You yourself saw what power one member of this group can do Sly?" **Davious concluded, staring at his younger cousin as he sat pondering this meeting._

**_"Maybe," _**_Sly said, looking up to look at his cousin as they contined to discuss their situation. **"but like Carmelita said, we have no idea if they are The Shadows. For the most part, I have been able to believe what you've been saying so far Davious, but a worldwide crime ring, like Carmelita said, sounds impossible, even if one of their members was immensly powerful even for us."**_

_Davious, looking a bit annoyed by how stubborn his cousin's crew were being, remembered something his ancestors had always said through the timeline. **"****He can if he his the best at what he does. My ancestor had said that, often when he and Slytunkhamen had argued. He believed that if one person was the best at what he does, that he alone could rule an empire. These people are just the same. They are the best at what they do, and each one is renowned for it. Samas was The Shadows master magician, his family having been the best for thousands of years, and he alone almost succeeded in defeating your gang without breaking a sweat. Believe in them or not, that is what they are, and you, Sly, Bentley, Murray, and Carmelita, have just made first place on their most wanted dead list. I have been trying for years to keep them at bay, to try to be three steps ahead of them as you alll were playing cops and robbers, but I fear that they have gotten a few steps further. That is why I have revealed myself again to you Sly. We face a threat unlike any other the world has faced before. These people, there not after some technology from a prehistoric bird, not after the secrets to thieves, not after money, or fame, or power. They want control, control over not just you and me, but everyone, the criminals, the police, the people, all of it, and I fear they are very closer to getting it. So, will you continue believing that they aren't real, that something so powerful and unlikely is impossible, when the four of you yourselves have done more than the impossible, or will you help me take The Shadows down for good." **Davious concluded, worn out after having to further explain his cause, had walked back around and crashed down into his chair, tired after the long meeting._

_The gang, each looking at one another, then haudled in close to discuss their situation._

**_"I still don't like it." _**_Said Carmelita starting off, quite unsurprising considering everything Davious had put her through, **"The Shadow? We at Interpol always joked about them because of how ridiculous they sounded, a world-wide crime ring, so ridiculous."**_

_The gang, looking at one another, weren't so sure. **"Despite how ridiculous it sounds, Davious had a point." **Bentley stated, glancing at Sly and Murray for confirmation. **"****Over the past few years, we have kinda done the impossible. Time travel, beating the Klaw Gang, retaking the Cooper Vault, it all sounded impossible, but we did manage to pull it off, and we are given the choice to do it again."**_

_**"Bentley's right." **Murray said, giving Bentley a quiet pat on the back. **"After everything we've been through, this doesn't seem so bad as before."**_

_**"Murray, these guys are the world's best of the best, and they all want us dead."** Bentley said, looking a bit worried after the word dead.** "I don't think it's going to be as easy as our other adventures." **_

_**"Your really going to believe him on this?" **Carmelita said, looking a bit angered over their decision. **"The man had been making up lies since the time I was kidnapped by him. Sly, how do you even know he is your cousin? Sly?" **Looking over, the gang saw Sly had been looking past them toward his so-called cousin, who had closed his eyes to get a chance to relax while they spoke. Sly remembered when they first met, how the two had laughed about how James had sounded and how they had looked through the Thievius Raccoonus together._

**_"I believe him." _**_He finally said, earning a surprised look from the gang and Carmelita. **"I believe he is who he says he is and that The Shadows could exist. In the one time we had met, their was something that told me he and I would meet again, even after I saw that news report. No one else, not even you guys, knew that I had already opened the Thievius Raccoonus to someone else. So, if we have decided on our choice, you guys ready?"**_

_Bentley and Murray, who had followed Sly through and through, had gave him a determined head nod, while Carmelita, still not sure, only said she'll play along with whatever Davious was planning. The gang then dispersed, and, with Sly in front, had walked over to the front of Davious' desk._

_Opening one eye, Davious then looked at the gang as they stared down at him. **"I hope you have made a decision."**_

_**"We have." **Said Sly. **"We'll help you however we can."**_


	17. Chapter 16

Heyyyyyyyy OOOOOOOOO! So, I would like to start off now by saying that the real story has begun. Although, things have been going pretty well, I envisioned these previous chapters to be more of a tutorial if not prolouge to this book, like a more of shorter version of a level that introduces new stuff in the games. So as such, the story will be breaking down into chapters and parts. Chapters are going to try to be the main thing for the book, and like in the games, parts are going to be like the video introductions and whole levels. So, like this one, the Chapter will be chapter 16, however, it is the intro to this level as if it was a game, which makes it the first part of these next series of chapters. That's confusing? Let's make it simple, Parts=Intro video and sections of the story. Chapters=individual events in the parts as well as things out of the parts. You know what, this is hard to explain, so I'll just ask to, unless you guys figure it out, ask questions in reviews if you need help. Anyway, Chapter/ Part time!

_**Part 1: Frenzy on the Web!**_

_**Chapter 16: Bright Lights, Big Crowds!**_

_After the crew had agreed tohelp out Davious, they then set out to their first target of The Shadows, the young gecko by the name of Miller who was living in Lafredo,Texas. According to Davious, who had gone with them to help them take down the kid, Miller was the tech guy of The Shadows, often never getting involved with the bloodshed and violence of the other members. From what Bentley had looked up about the him, he was only 17, and was considered one of the youngest student to graduate fom college, at only 12! Apparently, he had mastered in all things technical and involving online databases, making him a key target for The Shadows. From what Bentley could also gather on him, he appeared to have a deep love for video games, seeing as how whenever he tried to hack anything on him, he was always getting mad at games he had as safeguards, games of which Bentley himself was taking days to beat, even for his great brain._

_Once the gang had arrived in Lafredo, they saw immediatly why someone like Miller would love such a place. They streets were filled with hundreds of thousand of teenagers, all on their phones and not even bothering to look up as they were crossing the street, right where the gang were driving the van! They saw millions of neon signs and billboards on the buildings that covered the town, each of which looked to have some form of arcade in their buildings from the amount of lights and sounds that came from the windows. The ploice, or what they thought were police men, were directing massive lines of cars and people, who were also even on their phones on the time. Overall, it was like they were in a ccity were no one bothered to leave technology. _

_When the gang had found a suitable HQ, one were they weren't near an arcade or dozens of teenagers, the gang then immediatly thought of a recon plan. Sly, having always been the one to do so, was sent out to snab some pictures of the city, as well as any signs of Miller or his gang. Davious, having never been a part of the gang, offered to go out and help his cousin. Rather than come in his formal outfit, he had worn a bigger version of his leather jacket he had when he and Sly first met, and had come wearing a fashion jazz hat, black and blue just like his buisness suit. He also had his own cane, something the gang suspected him having if he was capable of getting into the Cooper Vault, and it resembled Sly's, but like his ancestor's, it was black and silver instead of gold and brown. After a quick sign of suspician from Carmelita, he decided he could wait before leaning against one the walls surrounding the living room. After Sly had left the HQ, Davious found himself getting interigated from Carmelita, who had waited till after Ringtail left so she could then find out how trustworthy he really was. It was going to be awhile till Sly returned._

* * *

_As Sly left their HQ, an abandoned hotel far from the lights and sounds of the people, he then climbed a nearby pipe leading to the roof and looked out amongst the city. Looking to North, he could see the many skyscrapers, if not a few handfuls of them, still on from all the lights and flashes that came out from them. Looking to the Northwest-Southwest, he saw the looks of what seemed liked a bunch of small hotels and homes, most likely were everyone went during the day, seeing as how it looked like everyone was awake. Turning around to the South, he could see an abandoned power plant from the looks of it. Looking to the Southeast-Northeast, he saw the hundreds of lights from the arcades, shops, malls, and so many entertainment stores that lined this city. Deciding he should head there first, Sly then began jumping across the building that lined the street from the HQ to the center of what he presumed was the area. Landing on what was a large resturant, he saw the thousands of people going in out o what looked like a massive mall._

**_"Does anyone every sleep in this city?" _**_Looking over to what he assumed was another arcade, he saw that there was a long line of people trying to get into the building. Pulling out his binocucom, Sly zoomed in to look at what the sign said of above the entrance to the arcade. Miller's Techoworld! he read. **"Hmm, that's not saying 'here I am' to anybody." **He said, taking a picture hoping it may be a clue as to where they could find him. _

_Using his paraglider, Sly jumped off the resturant and glided down to a back alley surrounding the arcade, and quickly blended into the shadows. Peaking over the edge of the entrance to the ally, he saw two guards guarding the entrance to the arcade, both were iguanas dressed in a teenage punkish outfit. Getting picture of what the guards looked like, Sly was suddenly covering his ears as the line of people started began roaring for someone who was leaving the arcade. Sneaking his way past the crowd, Sly saw it was indeed Miller, waving hi to his fans and signing autographs whenever someone wanted one. He looked to be like a kid trying to be goth, wearing a lip ring and sporting his own black jacket with a neon stripe running down where the zipper would be. He had jeans on, and wastrying to not trip on his own shoelaces. After Sly took a picture of him, he watched as he slowly made his way past the crowd and into a car waiting for him. Thinking ahead, Sly slid past the people and got behind where the driver was, and pretending like he was a crazed fan,began pounding where the drivers window was. Getting annoyed, the driver had stepped out and was about to force Sly out of the way, but at that moment, Miller had just reached the car, and as the driver was distracted opening his door, Sly had sneaked another one of the Thievius bugs into his back pocket before running back into the alley. _

**_"Bentley, I just found Miller. He is being taken away in a private car to somewhere. I put a bug, in his driver's pocket so we can hear what he's saying." _**_As Sly waited for a response, he was suddenly surprised when he heard someone arguing over Bentley's binocucom. _

**_"Why on earth should I trust you!? You kidnapped me and drugged me, all so you can meet someone you could have very much called any time you wanted!" _**_It was Carmelita, and from the sound of it, she was still mad at Davious for what he did to her. _

**_"Ms. Fox, I had no means of harming you, physically or mentally." _**_Sly heard Davious sa__y, which they had been hearing quite alot from him as an apology. **"And as I already said, Dug and Frank, the ones that kidnapped you, are already paying for disobeying me. Now please, can we just-"**_

_Sly suddenly heard the sound of a shock pistol being fired over the binocucom, and hearing Carmelita yelling more at Davious now, who from what he could hear was starting to get a bit annoyed for her continually shooting him. Thankfully, the person he was trying to call had picked up at last. **"Uh, sorry about that Sly." **Said, Bentley, who from the video feed from the binocucom, was still looking toward where the two were fighting. **"Uh, things have been getting a little difficult with you not being here. I heard what you said, so make sure you follow them and get us photos. Carmelita! Don't shoot that! That goes to the-"**_

_Sly was cut off when he saw that Bentley's feed had gone staticy, and put his binocuom away as he saw Miller's car was preparing to leave._

_Climbing another pipe to the roof, Sly followed at a dead sprint atop the city's rofftops as Miller's driver took many twists and turns into alleys and streets. As Sly followed, he saw the car stop at several places. The first was a local peircing store, and from the line of reptiles and amphibians, must have been where miller's guards must get their peircings, and only had time to snag a picture in a few seconds befre the car zoomed off again. The next stop was another one of the city's arcades, except this one looked to be massive, almost the size of a mall! Getting another picture, Sly followed the car again to another stop, although he was quite surprised to see that it was actually a fast food resturant, and taking a picture just in case, was forced to follow yet again when the car went off toward the south side of town. The final stop was the abandoned power plant, and from the way it looked, wasn't so abandoned. The guards looked to be heavily armed here, each one holding what looked to be light machine gun. Atop the reactors, Sly could see their were many snipers covering the entrance and all around the reactor. Getting pictures of the snipers as well as the guards surrounding it, he took a picture of the entrance to the reactor, a big archway that looked to lead underground. As he watched, he saw Miller step back out of the car and look around as if he was worried someoe was watching, which someone was. Assumong he was safe, Sly took another picture of the kid as he walked up to the entrance to the reactor and began the jorney down._

**_"Huh, if I didn't no any better, I'd say their is something down there he really wants no one getting too. Guess we know where to begin."_**

_As Sly made his way back to the HQ, he thought back to what Davious and Carmelita were argueing about, and knowing Carmelita, knew that they were no where close to done when he returned._


	18. Chapter 17

_**Part 1: Frenzy On The Web**_

_**Chapter 17: Fun at the Arcade**_

_When Sly returned to the Safehouse, he found that the gang had been trying to stop Davious and Carmelita's fight. Murray, who was between Davious and Carmelita as the two were arguing, had been trying to separate the two using his hands as a means to keep them apart. Carmelita, who from what Sly could tell, was trying to punch Davious, but was having a hard time getting past Murray. Davious, who was trying to get away from Carmelita, kept having to hide back behind Murray so she couldn't reach him. Looking around, Sly saw Bentley had on his thick-set of headphones, and glancing up, was giving a cry for help look to Sly. Upon seeing he had returned though,Murray had let his guard down for a second, and that's all Carmelita needed. Acting quickly, she curved around Murray and was about to deliver a mean punch to Davious in his face, but was stopped when Davious had quickly blocked the punch, grabbed the same a__rm, and using her own momentum, forced her down to the floor, pinning her to it. Carmelita tried to get free, but Davious then used his other arm to hold her down by the back of her throat._

**_"Now Ms. Fox, can we come to an arrangement so we don't have to be at each other's throats, or do I have to be continuing to beat and take you down every time you try to get a punch on me?" _**_Davious said, glancing toward Sly with a look of 'why didn't you get here sooner' like. _

_Carmelita, who had also looked up to where Sly was, only continued struggling before Davious began to press down on her throat. **"Grr, fine, but if I see you doing anything, anything at all, that even looks suspicious, I'm taking you down." **Davious then let go of her, and as she got up, she looked at Sly with anger before she stormed out of the room._

**_"Ok." _**_Sly said with a questioning tone. **"Bentley, did you get the pictures I got? Also did you get anything on that bug I planted?"**_

_Bentley, looking relieved that the fighting was over, looked up and said yes to both of his questions._

* * *

_Later that day, after things had cooled down among the group, Bentley went over what he knew and the plan. Bentley told how the bug Sly had put in Miller's car had helped figure out what Miller was hiding in the reactor. To there surprise, Bentley was incredibly excited when he explained that Miller had Deckerchair3000, something everyone, except Davious for some reason, had known idea what it was. According to sources, the chair is supposed to act like a mind controlled virtual computer, allowing a person to be inside and access any part of the web, g__aming__, or just about anything that had an online ability. Apparently, their were __only five of them ever made, due to the cost and as well as the ability they had to get access to anything on the internet. Miller said he had two of them in the reactor, something Bentley was even more excited about. After he finished explaining the chair, Bentley then went into the plan._

_The first thing they would need to do is getting the guards away from the reactor, something which would need a great deal of distracting. To do so, Bentley explained that they would need to cause a massive p__ower outage in the city, something these people would surely hate to have. To do that, the gang would need to overload the power at the massive arcade Sly saw. With luck, it would cause the people to panic, and with it being one of his arcades, Miller would need to deploy a good deal of his guards to calm down the people. While the arcade is being shut down, the gang will need to take out the guards on the roof. To do so, Bentley had decided to put mini shock chips on the piercings the guards on the roof have. To do so, he would need to wait for when the pa__trols switch out to go get their new piercings, during which he will take the place of the cashier and sell the snipers the shock ones. With the snipers with shock piercings and the guards distracted with the power outage, the gang would be able to walk right on into the reactor, taking out the guards along the way, and putting an end to Miller's technology scheme._

* * *

_The first thing they needed to do was getting allowed inside the arcade's generators. In order to do so, Bentley had asked Murray to get a uniform from one of the worker lounges. In order to get in the lounge, they would need a distraction to get everyone away from where the uniforms are kept. To do so, Bentley proposed that they try out some of the games and get the crowd's attention with their skills in them. For this, Bentley chose Davious, hoping to get him out of the Safehouse to avoid any further trouble with Carmelita. He didn't refuse._

_When the pair got to the entrance to the arcade, they found a massive line outside, and from the look of it, went around the whole building. _

**_"Uh, this may be a problem." _**_Murray said, looking at all the teens and adults that were growing impatient as well as excited in the line._

**_"Hah! You forget who your partnered with." _**_Davious then began walking up to the entrance. **"By the way, I never properly thanked you for helping out with Ms. Carmelita. Is she always like that?" **He asked looking up to the big guy._

**_"Not always. But mostly when she's angry at Sly or was hunting us. Hey, where did you learn those moves you used when she tried to punch you?" _**_Murray asked, looking down at the black raccoon. **"I've never seen Carmelita get beaten by anyone in combat?"**_

_**"From the way I was raised, that wasn't even close to a challenge." **He replied._

_**"And how were you raised?" **Murray asked again, hoping to figure this guy, whom many of them still didn't trust._

**_"Brutally, and without mercy, simply put." _**_He replied. **"I will say though her aim with that pistol of her's was impressive."**_

_They had arrived at the gate when one of the guards, a horned lizard wearing the same goth theme like the other guards, had stopped them. **"Halt, ID's if you wish to enter. Don't got em, back of the line." **He gestured to the long line of people, who from the way they were staring at the pair, were not pleased at all._

**_"I don't need one, nor will I ever will." _**_Davious said to the guard, who startedto laugh at the raccoon in front of him. **"But, if you wish to not have an encounter with your boss, who will be incredibly angry if you don't let this V.I.P in, you will let me and my bodyguard in." **Davious said, making a small gesture toward Murray, who was a little surprised at what Davious was doing._

**_"Hah, and why should I let you in? I haven't seen your type around here? Who are you?" _**_The guard asked, looking Davious straight in the eye while showing his pistol hanging from his belt toward the raccoon._

**_"Who I am won't matter, but if you value working here Phil, that is your name right?" _**_Davious asked, raising an eyebrow at the guards surprised look. **"And if you still want to keep your nice car, Mustang correct, then you will let us in. Or do I have to report you to someone worse than your boss. Perhaps one of his superiors?" **To this, the guard then had a scared gulp, and looking at the raccoon, was beginning to reconsider his boldness. Davious then smiled a cruel grin and added his last threat. **"Perhaps the good doctor, Scicero, could use you as a test subject. I hear he's looking for lizards this week."**_

_**"Ok ok ok!" **Said Phil, who was looking very scared at the thought of being one of the doctor's experiments. **"You can come in. But please, don't tell Miller I said anything bad to you. Please?" **The guard asked, showing the nervousness in his voice._

_**"Tempting." **Davious said, pondering it like it really was an option. Looking past the guard, he saw that the arcade was actually not really that packed with people, and remembering the long line next him, had an idea. **Tell you what. You let me and my bodyguard in, as well as everyone else that has stood here for who knows how long, and I won't tell him."** __After hearing this, the line began to cheer for the raccoon and the hippo, finally happy they'll be able to go in._

_The guard, looking worried that he could either let all these people in or become one of Sciero's lab rats, decided he'd take the least likely to being fired one. **"Deal."**_

_As he got out-of-the-way of the oncoming crowd, the guard noticed that the raccoon and hippo had given him a funny look before they had also entered the arcade._

* * *

_As the two began looking around the arcade, Murray had asked Davious how he had known the guards name, as well as the fact he drove a Mustang. Davious simply said as they were walking up to the entrance he had looked at the guard and made several observations about him. He noticed the car keys to the Mustang on the left side of his jacket, and remembering his own cars he owned back in New York, knew he had driven a Mustang and must have gotten it recently from the shine and new look of the keys. As they got closer, he began to scan for a name of the officer, and seeing that it was on his badge, knew his name was Phil. Judging by his goth look and the amount of piercing on him, he must be a pretty high-ranking guard and must know of Miller's superiors, other wise he wouldn't have had a top-notch pistol as his firearm, something Davious noticed very few of the guards had on their way into the city. Everything else just fell into place and he 'persuaded' the guard to let them in, plus the hundreds of people who were waiting as well. Murray, a bit lost from his answer, simply gave an understanding nod before they came upon where the guards changing room was. _

_Splitting up, Murray went over to where the door was, and waiting for Davious to plan a distraction, sat down in a nearby chair and pretended he was asleep, secretly having his eyelids partly closed. Davious, having not gone to an arcade in years, began looking for something, anything, he could be good at. Looking around, he found a massive black box in the corner of one of the rooms in the arcade. Looking up at the sign that laid above it, he saw that it was a laser tag arena, and according to some advertisement next to it, was one of the biggest in the world. Looking back toward where Murray was, he gave a quick nod before going over to a nearby microphone near the entrance. Picking it up, he then asked for everyone to come to the laser tag spot for a whole night of free laser tag. Luckily, several of the hundred of people inside the arcade had swarmed over, along with a good half of the security staff. Taking advantage of the chaos, Murray slipped inside the changing room, and found a good thirty rows to choose from!_

_**"Hope Davious is good at laser tag."**_

* * *

_Davious was being a marksmen in the arena. Rather than be like the other people who had worn one of the laser tag vest, he had worn two, dual wielding the laser guns that couldn't be removed from it, but also increasing the amount of targets on him. When the game began, he ran off into one of the many corridors inside, using his own fur as camouflage. During the first round, of the game, he had mostly stuck to the shadows, hiding and studying his opponents for the next round. In the few times he had been seen, he quickly dispatched them using his dual wielding, memorizing the bull's-eyes on the vest before the game had begun. By the end of the round, he had acquired about 2000 points. Not much compared to the other players, who had about the 5000's and 4000's, but not terrible considering he fired the least amount of bullets out of them. When round two began, he was unstoppable. Having used his first round to memorize the arena and figure out the best players,he then charged up to one of the many sniping towers and slowly picked off the best players in the beginning. From this one spot and in the few minutes he was there, he had quickly gotten 6000 points, making him in the lead in the first few minutes! One player had found out where he was from all the times he was being hit, and had quietly approached the tower along with four of his friends. Hearing the untrained teenagers footsteps, Davious had swung around the vantage point and hung where the ledge was, hiding from the group as the came to the tower. Confused by the fact he couldn't have gotten past them since there was only one way up, they were quickly surprised when he had jumped from the he was hiding over the tower and had shot each of the teens before they could fire. In their confusion, they tried to fire at him, but when they realized they had been shot first and that there guns needed to recharge, they quickly realized that this was no ordinary player, and as the raccoon made his way past the group, he smiled at them before disappearing again into the darkness due to his own fur. Glancing at his score behind his gun, Davious saw he had gone up by a good 2000 from that last maneuver, and saw he was still in the lead with 3000 more points than the other players. Looking around, he saw several of the bonus targets around the arena, and thinking he outta let some of the other players catch up, he then went off to shoot some extra targets._

* * *

_Murray had found a suitable guard outfit and was making his way to the generator when he found a large room that looked to be the casino part of the arcade. Next to the entrance to the casino, Murray saw the sign for Employees Only, and knowing he was an employee, walked right in. He had walked into one of the janitors offices, and unfortunately, the one in there had seen him come in. _

**_"May I help you?"_**_ He asked. He was a rather tall spotted gecko, and he looked to be very busy with all the papers he had on his desk. Looking up, he was surprised to not find a fellow amphibian or reptile, but a pink hippo dressed in one of the guards outfits._

**_"Uh, hi." _**_Replied Murray, looking a bit nervous that this wasn't the power room. **"Uh, I was supposed to help fix the generator for the arcade."**_

_**"Fix it? What's wrong with it?" **Said the lizard, looking at Murray as if he was crazy._

**_"Well, I was told it might have some, uh, malfunction in the motors, and I was, uh, asked to come and fix it." _**_Murray said in response, realizing that he was so terrible at coming up with excuses._

_The janitor then got up from the desk and walked around to where he was at the door. **"Well, if your here to do it, you're in the wrong place." **He then opened the door and gestured for Murray to get out, and following his leave, began guiding him to the generator. **"I've never seen you before around here. Did you just get transferred?" **_

_**"Uh, yes, from out of town. I am, uh, sorta new to all this. Never seen so many games before, well, anywhere." **Murray said, looking at all the rooms full of games that they passed along the way._

_The gecko, looking a bit pleased by his response then continued. **"And you never will. The boy Miller has become quite a fan of such games, I must say I'm quite impressed by all he has here. However, I question how he got them in the first place."**_

**_"You don't know?" _**_Murray accidentally blurted out, quickly shutting his mouth before he could continue. _

**_"Know, what?" _**_The gecko asked, looking toward the hippo as they continued toward the generators._

**_"Uh, nothing, nothing at all. So you, uh, worked here a long time?" _**_Murray asked, trying to change the subject._

_The gecko, looking suspiciously at Murray, simply continued his answering and questioning. **"Very long, I used to own this place, before it became such a mess."**_

_**"What do you mean?"**_

_**"Before all the boy did to this, it was once a favorite spot to visit across the country, people would come far and wide to see Sam's Arcade. People loved this place, it was perfect. It had games so many adults loved to play as children, sport's teams that used to be able to play and have full on championship games here, and enough indoor activities that many people thought it had to be some sort of illusion. I remember watching so many of them grow smiles as they had fun with their families and friends from behind my manager's desk." **The gecko said, having a look of remembrance and great times in his eyes, before he once again became the tired and saddened gecko Murray saw._

**_"What happened then?" _**_Murray asked, starting to like this gecko as the were nearing the generators._

**_"My boy, Miller, he become obsessed with this, 21st technology. He began to remake the arcade, making it into an all teens night club and having so many video games and technology brought in that it became too much for me. I tried to plead with him to stop, to bring back the place he had grown up in, but he simply said that was old, and that even if he wanted to, he couldn't anyway. He had grown so smart over the years, so smart that I feared he may have lost his way with the things he used to love growing up to. He made me head janitor and in charge of all these...machines. I didn't have a choice, my family had founded this arcade, and it was my duty to keep it cared for, even if it is in the hands of someone who forgot it's purpose."_**

_They had reached the door to the generator room, and as the gecko was unlocking it with his master-key, Murray had asked him something. _

_**"How do you know so much about this place, and about the kid Miller?"**_

_**"Because," **the gecko, started as he had opened the door,** "he's my son."**_

* * *

_Davious had literally become a wanted man in laser tag. He had had the highest score, about 50,000, for the past four games, and usually he would get to it in the first eight minutes in the game. For the remaining twelve minutes, he had to dodge, hide, sneak, and on a few times, parry and shield himself from the other players, using one of them as a shield! Having been trained since he could walk, his aiming was unbelievably precise, never missing a bullseye with any of his shots or getting shot at from his swift and skilled reflexes. The few times he actually had used another player as a shield, he had achieved immense fame as he had increased that same player's score by a good 10,000, earning him a quick reputation as a booster for the players, even if he had held them as a hostage. At the end of each game, he would look out into the awaiting crowd and had found always a massive line waiting to get in. As he kept on looking, he noticed that Murray still hadn't returned yet from the generator. After the fourth game had ended, he had walked into the starting room and had heard an announcement on the intercom. apparently, he had indeed been made the target for many of the players, as the announcement had said that any that could beat him would be rewarded with a free pass to the arcade whenever they wanted too. Looking back out into the awaiting line, he could see every single teen, child, and adult staring at him with anticipation, and a bit of nervousness. Occasionally, he would look upon a group of teenagers that thought he was a joke, and they would often give him a smug look like getting that ticket would be a cake walk for them. How wrong they were._

* * *

_Murray had followed the gecko, who he realized name was Sam, deeper into the arcades basement. Eventually, after what felt like a good ten minutes of walking, they had reached the generator. As Murray looked upon the massive thing, which was about the size of a house, he turned around only to see that Sam had pulled out a revolver pistol, and had it aimed right at Murray._

**_"Ok, I don't know who you are, but I know you can't be a member of Miller's little task force. Every member knows that know one can see these generators without permission from me. So, I'll ask again, who are you?" _**_Sam then took a step toward Murray, holding the pistol now closer to his forehead. __Murray, unsure what to do, tried to make up another story before Sam shot one pf the bullets on the ground to the right of his left foot. **"I don't want your made up stories, I want to know why your here and why you want this generator!"**_

_**"We're here to disable it!" **Murray accidentally spilled, quickly covering his mouth before he said something else._

**_"We? Who is we? And what did you know about my son that I didn't know? Talk!" _**_Sam then fired another bullet, shooting off into the darkness of the basement to his right._

**_"Your son's a member of a crime ring, and we came here to stop him from helping whatever it is their planning. Didn't you ever wonder where he got all this tech and cash from? Why he said he couldn't restore your arcade, even if he wanted too?" _**_Murray finished, hoping Sam would believe him so he won't get shot._

_After what felt like agonizing hours for Murray, Sam had pulled back his pistol and put it into one of his back pockets. **"Why do you need the generator gone?" **He finally asked._

**_"We're hoping it would cause a big enough power outage to get Miller's guards at the city's reactor away from it so we can sneak in." _**_Murray replied, noticing a smile forming on Sam's lips._

**_"Hah! That won't do. If your really going to be here to take down my son's criminal gang, then your going to need to take down all three of the reactors." _**_He then pulled out a big blue piece of constructing paper, and began walking over to one of the tables around the generator._

**_"Three?" _**_Murray asked, watching as Sam began to lay down and level out the paper. As he looked at it, Murray could see it was a map of the city, and on it he saw a lightning bolt on three locations around the city._

**_"My son values his technology and machines too much. He'll know better than too have just one providing power. I can help your gang get to them, but you need to make me a promise." _**_He said, looking at Murray as he looked up from the map. _**_"Promise me, when you have finished taking down my son's criminal empire, that when you beat him, you will let him go free. He is too young to go to somewhere like prison, and I know he won't last a day in such a place. Promise me that when he's beaten, that you will erase all evidence of him being involved with this crime ring you spoke of." _**_He then looked at Murray with pleading eyes, hoping the hippo would say yes to his agreement._

**_"It won't be easy, especially since of our friends is an Interpol agent, but we might be able to clear his name." _**_Murray said, looking at the gecko as he smiled with satisfaction knowing his son would be free of these criminals soon. **"So how do we take down these generators?" **_

_**"Miller made these to withstand the greatest of events, a nuclear bomb may not even be able to destroy these, explaining why he buried them so far underground. But, I have done some research, and if one were to overcharge these generators, perhaps link them all up to one another, it may cause them to short-circuit and possibly cause a city-wide blackout. But in order to do that, one would need to first get access to them." **He said, walking over to the front of the massive power source._

_**"Well that doesn't sound so hard. Where are the other generators located at?" **Murray said, following Sam to the generator's front._

_**"Believe me, it's going to be a difficult challenge."**_

* * *

_What started out as a fun challenge for players had quickly become a fight for his life for Davious. During the eighth game of laser tag he played, he had shielded himself with another player and had unintentionally had somehow hit the reset button on his gun while he was holding him. The player, a teen that who was a green lizard around age 16, had accused Davious of cheating, and had stormed out of the arena to alert security. Apparently, this wasn't the first time Davious had accidentally reset some of the player's point totals, as their was a massive mob of people at the laser tag's front demanding that Davious be kicked from the arena. Having had enough of the constant teenagers and adults, the receptionist had called for all officers to come to the laser tag arena and force Davious out. As Davious walked out off the arena at the end of the eighth game, he bumped into a big komodo dragon wearing a security outfit._

**_"Are you Davious Cooper?" _**_The guard asked Davious, not bothering to be nice about it._

**_"That's him! That's the cheater!" _**_Said the same green lizard Davious had reset their points._

_Looking back at the crowd at whoever yelled at Davious, the guard had turned around and had caught sight of a dark grey and black tail renter the arena. Acting quickly and calling over more officers, the security guards had pulled out their batons and guns and had charged in after him._

_Without his cane, Davious might have had been in a bit of trouble, but growing up, he learned that having a Cooper Cane was just a symbol and signature weapon for the family, and didn't always need to be relied on. As the guard was distracted, Davious had run over to the arena's activation panel and had turned his laser tag gun on as well as activate the arena and had run inside just before the guard had turned around and saw his tail._

_As he ran deeper and deeper into the arcade, he had quickly hid in a patch of darkness to count how many footsteps were coming. One. Two. Three Four Five. Six. Seven eight nine. Ten eleven. Twelve. Thirteen fourteen fifteen. Fifteen guards, one of him. Knowing that they would be playing with something other than a laser gun, Davious had to decide on a way to take them down. Glancing around the corner, he could see the several of the guards were wearing glasses to see better, most likely ones that were modified to see through the dark. He counted twelve of the fifteen guards wearing them, and knew then where his target would need to be. Running across the aisle from where he was hiding, he heard the guards chasing him through the tights and turns of the arena. Looking around, he saw many rocks and pebbles he could use to confuse his direction. Picking up a handful of them, Davious began chucking rocks through any of the corridors he could find. As he slowly began to quiet down his footsteps, he heard the sound of many of the guards trying to find where they were. Knowing this arena well now, he went down the corridor he was in and peaked to the right of the end of the corridor. Three guards. No sweat. Taking advantage of their confusion, Davious turned the corner and fired his laser guns right into their glasses. As the lizards were trying to fix their eyes, Davious ran up to the first one and delivered a powerful punch to the gut. Bending down to one knee, the guard was about to stand when another punch came down on the back of his neck, dropping him instantly. As the second guard tried but failed to recover, he had went for a punch on Davious, but he just moved out of the way as the punch came in and hit the third guard in the face, pushing him back to the wall where he slumped down, unconscious. By the time the guard recovered, he had looked down at his comrades, and as he gazed up to see Davious, he was met by two more laser guns shot, right before he felt a quick kick to his side and then another to his head, dropping him. _

_Looking around, Davious found that too easy, and as he bent down to look at the men, he heard four more guards approaching down the corridor he came from. Thinking fast, he then ran off down the corridor the three guards had come, listening to the footsteps that were trailing. Getting an idea, he then stopped running, and began scaling the corridor. Using his legs to space himself out, he began climbing to the top of the corridor vertically, and in perfect timing too, cause the four guards that were following had just turned the same corner he went. Looking around and trying to hear the best they could, they were unaware that their target was right above their heads, and looking ahead of him, Davious could see one of the bonus point targets. Using his right hand, he aimed the laser gun down the sight toward the target, and fired. As the sound of the bonus point began to echo down the hallway, the guards were then distracted as they all looked toward the target. Taking advantage of the confusion, Davious then dropped down and landed on two of them, breaking his fall, a maybe a few their bones. As the other two guards turned around to try to grab him, Davious then jumped back so he could land on the floor, and began running back down the corridor they came from. Listening on the now two soldiers left, Davious had noticed he had run into a five way corridor, and in each of the entryways stood two guards each, all having their batons out and ready to take him down._

* * *

_Murray had arrived where the laser tag was only to find a massive mob had gathered all around a giant screen hanging up outside the arena's entrance. Looking up, Murray could see that it was showing fifteen guards chasing after someone. Sure enough, that someone was Davious, who from the many gasps and a few cheers from the crowd, was actually doing very well against the squad. However, the screen then cut to an image of Davious surrounded by soldiers on all sides in a five-way corridor, and too Murray's as well as most of the crowd's, he was standing there, just laughing at them._

**_"Hahaha! Do you really think you'll take me in? You won't even be able to touch me!" _**_He said, pointing at ech of the guards with his laser tag guns like they'll actually do anything._

_Angered by his response, one of the guards charged at Davious, baton in hand, and to his surprise, Davious had simply side-stepped out of the way, grabbed the guards wrist holding the baron, and bent it back, forcing the guard to drop the baton. Before it even came close to touching the ground, Davious had picked it up, and had spun around and slammed it right in the guards neck, taking him down with the blow. Shocked by this, a couple of the guards had stepped back, during that time, Davious had removed the laser tag equipment, and beckoned to the one next to the guard that had stood next to the one that now on the floor._

**_"So, who's next?"_**


	19. Chapter 18

_**Chapter 18: A Sniper's Eye**_

_While Murray and Davious were going for the generator at the arcade, Bentley had asked for Sly and Carmelita to come along to help him out with placing the shock chips on the guards piercings. He was going to need them to help him manage the guards as he was implanting the chips. He asked if Sly could go behind the store and the proper size he needed for the chips, and for Carmelita to manage reception. But first, they had to get access to the store. In order to do so, Sly had to sneak to where the employers were taking there break, and take their uniforms. As they snuck into one of the alleys in front of the parlor, Sly grabbed onto a nearby pipe leading to the roof, and made his way to the top. Upon climbing up the long pipe and reaching the roof, Sly could see the size of the piercing parlor, and saw that it really wasn't that big a place. If anything, it looked no bigger than maybe a rental home, one of the ones that didn't have an upstairs to it. Looking down, Sly could see the sniper squad outside the store, but he kept feeling something wasn't right about this place. Pulling out his binocucom, Sly zoomed in on to where the employees should be taking their break at, in one of the alleys behind the parlor. Putting his binocucom away, Sly then jumped over to the building to the left of the parlor, and made his way over to where the corner overlooking the alley was. Looking down, he was surprised to not find employees, but fully armed guards, both of which were guarding the parlors back doors. _

_Pulling out his binocucom, Sly then opened up the video cam to talk to Bentley. **"Uh, Bentley, I don't think this is a typical parlor?"**_

_**"Hmm, I couldn't agree more with you Sly." **Bentley said over the binocum. **"Their seems to be way to many guards coming over to this place. There has to be more than one piercings stand in this city."**_

_Looking down, Sly could see that one of the snipers had gone into the building. Waiting to see what would happen, he was surprised when he saw that when the same guard emerged, he was wearing some sort of wierd helmet. Zooming in, Sly saw that where the guards eye's should be seen, their was some kind of visor, like he was wearing some sort of super advanced biker helmet._

**_"Sly!" _**_Bentley yelled over the binocucom._**_ "Thats a SnipersEye 2000! Their supposed to be illegal, due to their after effect of someone using one, causing temporary blindness. They were a way for a gunner to never miss his target in the military. They were supposedly destroyed after several of them were being sold to many of the nations enemies. Guess we know where they went." _**_As they kept watching the line get smaller and smaller, Bentley then had an idea for a new plan. **"Sly, if all the snipers are getting these helmets, then we can use then to cause them to go blind during the heist. However, we need a copy of the data and coding for them so I can hack them for use." **_

_Upon hearing this, Sly let out a low sigh, knowing he would need to be the one to go get the code. **"Fine, what do want me to do?"**_

_**"What? What do you mean? Carmelita just offered to get them." **Bentley replied over the binocucom, looking confused by Sly's question. _

**_"Wait, then what am I supposed to do?" _**_Sly asked, a bit unsure of what he was now supposed to do since he wouldn't be infiltrating the store._

**_"Umm, I don't know. You can act as, uh, reconnaissance for us. Let us know if something's up." _**_Bentley replied quickly before hanging up._

_Putting away the binocucom, Sly then sat down on the ledge, letting his legs dangle on the roof, while he just sat there thinking of what the heck he was going to do._

* * *

_With Sly watching for surveillance, Bentley and Carmelita then made their way over to where the group of three guards were by the entrance. Upon walking up to them, some of the snipers had looked at Carmelita with a look of disgust, like seeing someone not in scales was the most disturbing thing to them. Upon looking down at Bentley, they then had looks of concern at the handicapped turtle._

**_"Dude, what happened to you?" _**_One of them asked, a green lizard with a piercing on the left of his upper lip._

**_"Eh, it wasn't anything that bad. Just one of those times when you forget to look both ways." _**_Bentley said, showing off his wheelchair like it wasn't that bad._

**_"For the record," _**_Carmelita then inquired, going along with the turtle's fake story, **"I did warn you that you would never have made it past the first car."**_

_**"Mind your own business fox!" **Said one of the guards, a spotted salamander about a head taller than Carmelita. **"And if you warned him, why didn't you stop him huh?"**_

_**"Excuse me?!" **Carmelita replied, looking like she was ging to punch the scaly amphibian, who acted like she was only a child. _

_**"Uh, Carmelita, why don't you head back to the car. I'll uh, be there when I'm done." **Bentley asked, looking up at the fox as she slowly, yet furiously began walking back toward the alley they came from. **"So, um, what is everyone here for?"**_

_**"Why, we're here to get the upgrades that have been rumored about going around the arcade." **The Green lizard said, smiling like it was the best thing in the world._

**_"Yeah, the boss had said that since we're his marksmen division, we get cool upgrades. Look, there's one now." _**_Said the spotted salamander, pointing to one of the guards, a red lizard, as he came out of the store. He too had one of helmets on, and looked to be having trouble getting comfy in it. As the guard was continuing to walk away, the line had moved up, and Bentley followed with it. **"So, why are you here? You don't look to be one us marksmen. You from the hacking division in the reactor?"**_

_**"Sorta. I am more like an advisor to them. You know, superiors and all that." **Bentley replied, noticing the guards confusing expressions as the turtle explained. **"Oh, you must not know then."**_

_**"Where are you getting at? What superior?" **The spotted salamander asked as the three of the guards looked down at the turtle with suspicion._

**_"Believe me, it's better if you don't know." _**_Bentley had said to them, giving a fake look of worry like he would get in trouble. **"So, I was told to come down and inspect these upgrade. Miller's orders."**_

_The guards had looks of doubt on their faces, but they eventually believed Bentley and had gone back to waiting in line. After about thirty minutes, Bentley had at last reached the door. Upon peaking in, Bentley saw that the inside looked like some simple store like you would find at a gas station or something. Upon stepping into the store though, he was met with a gun being for his little turtle head, and another komodo dragon guard who had gone to the piercing parlor one to many times._

**_"Who are you?" _**

**_"I'm here to inspect the upgrades that came in." _**_Bentley quickly spilled, hating his nervousness for the gun being aimed t him._

**_"You? We were told that they would be bigger, and not a cowardly little turtle." _**_The guard said,__looking Bentley up and down like he was expecting him to be a bit more than a small handicapped turtle._

**_"Uh, he said he couldn't make it, apparently something was going down in the arcade across town." _**

**_"Fine, whatever, just get in here." _**_The guard said before pushing Bentley inside to get to whoever was next in line__._

_Now that he was actually in the store, Bentley could see what was inside. It wasn't spectacular, if anything, it was actually pretty small, like that of some regular gas station. It had ten aisles going away from where the door was, but what Bentley found interesting was th things on the shelfs of the rows. Rolling around the store, he saw the first row, starting toward the left of the building's entrance, had body armor and military clothing on them. Rolling down it, he saw that much of it was actually really high-tech, some he had never even seen before, and he had seen a lot. Going down the next row, he found gun ammunition for all types, rockets, machine guns, all of them. The next six rows after thoughs contained guns, and there were a lot. Bazookas, gatling guns, rifles, pistols, so many, as if they were preparing for a war or something. If didn't destroy this shop, these people may find themselves living under tyranny. Finally, after going down the next three rows, which contained knives and equipment related items, he had found what he was looking for. On the shelves contained the SnipersEye 2000, and there were still plenty in stock. Grabbing one of the ones on the lowest shelf, Bentley had looked over the helmet and examined every inch of it. _

_'How did they get so many of these, the weapons, and equipment, without getting caught?' He wondered, putting the helmet in his lap, he grabbed another one as he began to head to the register. As he rolled up to it, he saw that the lizard managing it had a deep look of suspicion on his face as Bentley put the helmet he had carried up to buy. **"Who are you?" **He asked, eyeing Bentley deeply as he reached out and grabbed the helmet._

**_"Just someone looking to buy one of these. I was told that Miller had asked for someone to inspect these if their in working condition. He sent me down to do so." _**_Bentley lied, looking at the cashier like he was really telling the truth._

**_"I was told that Miller was going to send someone else down here to check these. Someone that looked like that." _**_The guard then pointed back towards the door, and standing there stood a__black gecko, dressed in some excercise outfit like he was going for a jog and had dropped by. **"I manage this register every day, and Miller had told me that was who I should be waiting for to inspect these helmets. So,"** he said, turning back towards Bentley,**"who are you-"**_

_To the guards surprise, he saw the helmet he had grabbed started pulsing, and looking down inside, he saw a bomb flashing blue, and before he could drop it, the bomb had gone off, and the store was suddenly filled with smoke. In the guards confusion, Bentley had put on a gas mask he had pulled out from is chair, and had begun rolling toward the door when he was stopped by the same three snipers he had met on the way in. **"We knew you weren't the one to analyze these helmets!" **The green lizard screamed before he tried to tackle Bentley, who had jumped over him using his rocket chair. As Bentley had flew over the guard, another one, the third, a yellow lizard with a red tail, had reached out to one of the shelves and pulled out a revolver and, unaware that it was actually supposed to be used for paintball, began shooting at Bentley as he flew over the guard. Landing down, Bentley had done his classic wheel spin attack, and had knocked the revolver out of the guards hand before the second wheel had come in and hit him in his legs. Falling down, the guard tried to go for Bentley, who then jumped back an threw down a bomb using one of his chairs arms, and to the guards horror, had landed in his hand when he went for Bentley. Rolling away from the aisle leading to the door, Bentley heard a boom rattle the store, his bomb no doubt, and began making his way toward the back entrance. As he was approaching the door, he saw the two guards Sly had said burst threw, no doubt aware of the noise going on, and seeing the turtle who had tried to get away, had run at him. Quickly spinning around, Bentley held the helmet close as he began going back through th aisles, trying to shake his pursuers along the way. As he went though them, he had placed several time bombs in the store, not enough to destroy the building, but to take care of the merchandise inside. As he made a quick turn leading back to the entrance, he saw a guard stumble out of the smoke, and to Bentley's surprise, it was the spotted salamander, and he was carrying a machine gun. **"You'll pay for that bomb stunt shortie." **He said before aiming down the guns sight and firing. Thankfully, he had confused Bentley's pursuers for him, and as he was firing at the guards, Bentley had rolled on pass him and out the store's door._

_Rolling back toward the alley, Bentley then spun around and, giving one last look at the store, blew the fuse on the bombs he placed. In the smoke, dozens of lights were seen exploding, not taking out the guards, but definitely what was on the shelves. Spinning back around, Bentley then made his way back to the Safehouse, knowing he was going to have quite a story to tell the guys, before he had received a call from Murray. _

**_"Uh, Bentley, we may have a problem." _**_Murray said over the binocucom._

**_"Go ahead Murray. What do you mean a problem?" _**_Bentley replied_

**_"Well, you remember that generator we were supposed to destroy?" _**_Murray said, looking a bit unsure of how to say what he needed too over the binocucom's feed._

**_Yeah...did you get it done?" _**_Bentley asked, looking at Murray with a curious stare._

**_"Well, the thing is, there is more than __one, __and apparently, we need to destroy, or at least reconnect them, all, at least that's what he said." _**

**_"Wait, who told you this?"_**

**_"Yeah, that's the other thing. So...I might have met Miller's dad."_**_ Murray finished, looking at Bentley with an apolegetic look._


	20. Chapter 19

**_Part 1: Frenzy On The Web_**

**_Chapter 19: Hacks And Fights_**

_Upon returning to the Safehouse, Bentley had found Sly crashed on the couch and Carmelita examining her shock pistol. Upon hearing him come in, the two had looked up to see if it might have been Murray and Davious, but were just as happy to see it was Bentley. After rolling over to his computer, Bentley had set the helmet on the counter next to it, and as he was setting up the plugs and cords to hack the helmets mainframe, he asked where the two were. Sly replied how they still hadn't returned from the arcade, which was over three hours ago. Unbeknownst to them, the only reason why the pair had returned, was because Davious had been taking care of almost all the security at the arcade._

* * *

_Davious had been in the same spot for the past thirtyy minutes. He had taken out the fifteen guards that had surrounded him at the intersection, but everytime he finished taking down three, nearly four more showed up. He was beginnning to not get tired, but irritated, as he wondered where on Earth was Murray. Murray, who had actually been right outside the laser tag arena, had been watching the black raccoon as he continued to take down security without breaking a sweat. Still watching, Murray saw another guard come at Davious from behind, and too his, as well as the crowds surprise, Davious had backflipped over the guard, grabbed him by the shoulders, and forced him down to the ground as he landed behind him. Davious, who then flexed his fingers, hadn't had time before two more guards had run at him from both his left and right sides. Glancing both ways, Davious had barely enough time to duck out of the left one's way before the other crashed into him. Laying confused on the ground, Davious had kicked both in the sides of their heads before yet another guard had rushed in on him. The guard had pulled out his nightstick, and was swinging to hit Davious, who moved and dodged out of the guards swings before sidestepping and delivering a painful elbow punch to the guards neck, then twirl the nightstick and slam it down on the guards head. 'Seriously, do they ever give up?' he barely had time to wonder as three more ran at him. _

_Deciding that that was enough to see, Murray then began shoving his way through the crowd, who didn't reject a massive hippo dressed in a security uniform as he made his way to the entrance. Seeing as their was no one, and probably never was, someone guarding the door, Murray had strolled on in._

* * *

_As the gang back at the Safehouse waited for the other two, Bentley then got to working on hacking the helmets mainframe. Searching through the many list of coding, Bentley had at last found an import system he can use to infilitrate the mainframe. Pulling up his favorite tank hacking avatar, Bentley then began making his way through the system. As he passed through the first level of encryptions, it was pretty easy with no firewalls or defense systems. Once he got through the next set though, he had met his old hacking nemisis, the red tanks that want to defend the system. Moving around the bullets, Bentley had saw a yellow power up, and picking it up, recieved a faster firing rate for his cannon. Taking down the tanks, Bentley then began working his way past the firewall, one of those many layered walls made of those red dotts he found so easy. It had twenty dots in total, ten covering the outside, six in the middle, and four as the last. Workin ght efirst wall down to nearly three dotts remaining, Bentley had to move as another wav of enemy tanks spawned. Moving away from the wall, Bentley then began shooting the tanks down one by one, until the last one exploded into a firework of pixels. Returning back to the wall, Bentley then finished taking down the wall and had progressed onto the next stage. He forgot how fun these were._

* * *

_Murray had needed to only follow one thing, the sound of bodies hitting the pavement and the angeed voices of guards who though they could win. After what felt like going through an endless labryinth of corridors, Murray had at last had come to were Davious was, and was surprise to find nearly thirty guards fallen, unconsious, on the floor. In the midst of the many guards Davious was just sitting down, criss crossed, and had been spinning on of the guards knightsicks in the air. Hearing someone else approach, he caught the stick and pointed at the corridor where Murray was, unaware that he was there, and simply said, **"If you value your whole self and being without a broken bone in your body, believe me my friend, you should walk away." **He then used the stick and opened his arms to show of all the bodies on the ground, the men he had taken down without so much as a hint o sweat. Murray, actually a bit scarred by the statement, then stepped forward so Davious could see him in the arcades neon lights. Seeing that it was Murray, Davious then slowly got up off the circle he had made for himself, and looking at Murray, simply said. **"You know, if your guys' missions always go like this, I gotta say, I wish I could've joined you guys sooner." **He then began to make his way to where Murray was in the corridor, steping over the bodies without so much as a glance as to where they lie, and simply walked right past him, beckoning him to follow. Murray, still surprised at how good this guy was, simply looked back at the thirty men that lay on the floor, before hurrying to catch up with the black raccoon._

* * *

_Bentley had reached level four of the helmets mainframe, he only needed one more stage to fully hack the helmet. He had again reached the area's dot firewall, this one being thirty instead of the twenty of twenty five in the previous stage. He encountered more of those tanks, as well as some of those seeking codes that would always try to get to him using their extreme speed. However, he had found both the codes were in this stage, and both wouldn't stop spawning as he chiseled his way through the firewall. Finally, after what felt like nearly ten minutes, he had broken through the wall and advanced to the final stage._

_Moving his tank forward, Bentley was a bit suspicious as to why there was no enemy coding here. He had come upon the main square to where the firewall was, and he found a monster of code protecting it. It looked to be a code that resembled a big frog. Bentley looked around the code and saw that the firewall was actually only a straight line of ten of those dotts. Quickly moving to the right of his tank, Bentley had fired a bullet at the wall when he saw the bullet then curve and somehow be pulled into the frog coding. Suddenly, the massive thing jumped and slammed into the ground, Bentley only had a few milliseconds to get away before the blast hit. Bentley saw then the frog began glowing, and fired a big cannonball-looking blast at where Bentley's tank was, destroying the area it had been at before Bentley had got out of the way. 'So it uses my own shots against me. This will be difficult. For someone other than me.' Moving to the left of the frog, Bentley then tried to go around it, but he then saw the thing hop and land right in front of the tank. Moving back, Bentley saw it was firing another blast again. He would need to save his ammo somehow so it wouldn't be consumed by the frog. Looking over to one of the mini areas outside of the arena square, he saw a strange red powerup, and quickly moving to it before the frog could jump again, he had picked up a magne-bolt powerup. _

_A brief description then popped up and said that you could use the magna bolt to pull enemies in, and that while it was activated, your tank gains a temporary shield that deals physical damage. Closing the box, Bentley then zoomed out of the area and fired the shot near the left side of the square walls. The frog code was suddenly sucked into the area where Bentley fired, and taking advantage of the distraction, zoomed over and slammed the tank into the firewall, bringing it down to eight dotts. Then Bentley's shield was gone, and looking over to where he fired, saw the frog was beginning to charge another shot! Quickly moving, Bentley then fired another shot just as the frog fired, and as the frog was pulled into the area, The platform Bentley's tank had been on had disappeared. Luckily, Bentley had been quick enough to move out of the way, and being as quick as his tank could be, he ran over and slammed into the firewall again, bringing it down to six dotts. The frog code, now growing impatient, devoured the puny bolt mark and fired another shot at Bentley's tank, nly to miss again and again destroy the flooring. _

_Two more time Bentley had damaged the fire wall, and two more shots the frog had fred. Now, the only to get to the firewall for Bentley was to go on the single pathway the frog had carved, a pathway that, sadly, the frog was waiting at the end. Firing as many bolts as he could do, Bentley raced along the path, each time the frog had been sucked in to and had devoured and fired at Bentley, each time he had missed and destroyed the platform right behind him. At last, Bentley had reached the firewall, but the frog was blocking the last two dots. Thinking of the only thing he could do, Bentley then began firing like haywire, all around the arena! The frog had continued to eat the shots, but as he got brighter from the charging of all the bolts being shot at him, he began to notice that Bentley's tank was growing brighter, until too late he realized what Bentley was doing. When he had fired enough shots, Bentley then had a bright red glow on him, and backing up as far as his tank could go, he then charger the frog, running right through him and exploding the code and the firewall into ta great fire work of pixels. So happy he was that he had accidentaly shouted YES!, right as Davious and Murray had arrived through the Safehouse door. As everyone was glancing at the turtle with a quizzical look, Bentley then continued the program and entered the mainframe, now he could hack these helmets for the heist. __With that done, Bentley then wheeled his way over to the others and then waited as Murray told of the other generators. Unfortunately, the words Murray started off with had got everyone quite off guard._

**_"So, um, who knows how to scale a skyscraper?"_**


	21. Chapter 20

Ah, it feels so good to be back. Six projects, needing to be done within two weeks. Uh this is difficult. But that doesn't matter, cause now I am done, and I can continue my work. Holy cow, nearly 8 reviews within three days, this is getting good. I would like to dedicate this chapter to a Nicky F, who's birthday present from me is two chapters for his day of being born. Happy Birthday Nicky, and to a Mr. 26, who's character may make an appearence for having been so detailed about him. No timing given :) But, it is time to complete the final steps before to end this first part of the story, so let's proceed :)

* * *

_**Part 1: Frenzy On The Web**_

_**Chapter 20: To Climb A Skyscraper**_

_After the gang had got settled in again after there long day, Murray began telling them what Sam had told him about the generators. Apparently, their were three in the city, one at the arcade, another somewhere amongst the skyscrapers, and the last that had been put in the housing districts. Upon finishing, the gang then decided on what to do now that they needed to connet the three generators if they wish to cause a city-wide blackout. Bentley than quickly thought up a plan to deal with this. They would need to split into teams, Davious and Sly would go find the generator in the skyscrapers, Murray and Carmelita in the housing district. Upon hearing that Davious would go with Sly, Carmelita then quickly asked to instead go with him so she could watch out in case he did anything suspicious, but was cut-short when Bentley said that their best chance at finding the generator would be to have the Sly and Davious go, since they were the best climbers and most acrobatic amongst them. Still not trusting Davious, Carmelita then gave an unsatisfied 'fine' before walking over to where Murray was and stand beside him. Bentley had calculated the best buildings Miller could use to keep a generator hidden yet be used in the city. He had figured out it was placed in the cities newest skyscraper the Blue Nights Casino, yet getting in it may prove difficult. Apparently, the generator was moved to the highest floor of the hotel, which was nearly 100 floors up! The building had resembled that of the Crowns Las Vegas Nightclub, although it was greatly scaled down. Bentley then figured out a plan to get to the generator without being caught by security or by any of the guest in the hotel. After many calculated and failed attempt of ideas, Davious had come forward with his own plan. While he may not have his company with him, he said he had brought a couple of 'trinkets' from them. Heading out to the van, he returned holding what looked like some sort of black gloves and shoes. _**_"They are called Black Palms. My researchers have been working on them for awhile. They are capable of many feats, and should hopefully help us get into the hotel. Sly, have you ever scaled a building on the outside?" _**_He then asked while handing Sly a copy of the gloves. Bentley had found several blindspots on the building, but the problem would be remaining undetected while they climbed the massive structure. Davious had then gone out and returned wearing what looked like a tight, dark grey latex suit. He then put it on while explaining it was a form of camoflauge, that it would take pictures of whatever was behind the wearer, then project them on the front of the suit, causing the wearer to become nearly invisible. He then went in to how the suit was designed to help his soldiers with handling thieves, but decided that he could put it to much better uses, and so decided to keep the only functioning and working copies for himself. With their equipment ready and the plan set, the two of them went off to the building._

* * *

_Upon arriving, Sly and Davious were met with looks of awe and great surprise. The Blue Night Casino was nearly 400 meters tall, and it truly did resemble that of the Crowns Nightclub in Vegas. It had many light all around the outside, giving it a rather eerie blue glow to it. It came up like a crown being stretched, and it was topped with a dome like that of a real crown with a fancy orb on top. The generator had to be in that dome, and glancing at each other for confirmation, they both believed it had to be there. Making their way to the side of the building, Sly and Davious found a nice dumpster that lay right below onw of the windows of the building. Dropping down the backpacks they had brought carrying the gear, the two then began to put on the suits and the gloves brought be Davious._

**_"Great, now I look like a real criminal. All I need is a ski mask and the set would be all complete." _**_Sly said, looking at himself in the mirror now that he had the suit and gloves on while standing on the dumpster._

**_"Hah! If anything, you look like an amateur." _**_Davious had replied, walking over to where Sly stood on the dumpster and pulling himself up. **"Believe me, I've seen what real criminals look like. And trust me Sly, you don't look anything like them." **The two then stood there admiring themselves in the mirror, finding it strange that this would be their first mission together._

**_"So, have you ever done this before? I mean actually climb a building and use this equipment?" _**_Sly asked, looking at his cousin for an answer._

**_"Well...yes and no. While I can honestly say I have indeed climbed building like this before, I've never had the pleasure of using this equipment. For all I know, it may not even work anymore when we reach a certain height." _**_Davious then said, massaging his chin since he really wasn't sure if this would work or not._

**_"Well, that's comforting." _**_Sly responded, sounding a little bit nervous now knowing that this may fail. **"So, uh, you want to start or shall I?"**_

_**"Please, go right ahead." **Davious said, gesturing for Sly to become while smiling like it was a fun joke. _

_Sly then placed his left hand on the window, and upon pushing into it, found he couldn't let go after several tuggs later. Placing his right hand and foot next, he then found that he had indeed clung to the wall. He slowly started to make his way up, and after he had reached a good meter away from the dumpster, had decided it was working. Davious then joined him, climbing up the window with a bit more ease than Sly, but also finding it a bit uncomfortable, if not nervous._

**_"You're sure these won't fail?" _**_Sly asked again after Davious had reached where he was on the window._

_**"As I said, no, but that's what makes it...interesting." **He replied with a bit of curiousity in his tone, like he was really thinking this was just an experiment and not a 'you fail, you die' situation. Now that they were up, the pair then activated their suits, which were powered on when the hood attached went over their heads and was secure, and they slowly made their way up. Thanks to the suit, no one saw them as the climbed up. Another neat gadget Davious had mentioned is that even though others can't see them, they can see each other, as the hoods act as a sort of screen to reveal who is invisible by the circuits and currents flowing through the suits. Within the first ten minutes, they had reached the 20th floor, and so far weren't finding anything wrong with the equipment. As they continued to climb, Sly kept looking down below him and seeing how far up he was getting, and was starting to think this may be a bad idea. Davious, however, was rather enjoying the sensation, and whenever he also looked down, kept smiling like it this was the best thing in the world. Within another five minutes they had reached the 30th floor, and Sly was starting to fear falling right now._

**_"Davious! Davious!" _**_He screamed for his cousin over the wind that was passing by now and again. Davious, hearing him being called, looked down and saw Sly had stopped climbing._

**_"Why stop! We still have nearly 70 more floors to do?!" _**_He yelled back, seeing Sly's face of fear he then realized why he had stopped in the first place. **"Your scared of being so high up off the ground?! I thought something like this would come as no problem for you?!"**_

_**"Being so high isn't what worries me! Being so high up that falling could kill me is what worries me!" **Sly yelled back, bit quieter not that the wind had passed for the time._

**_"Think of it as going for a goal! What you want more than anything in the world, and this climb is the road to get there!" _**_Davious replied, looking upon his younger cousin's face as he thought of something he wanted dearly._

_Sly had thought for a minute before he decided on what he wanted, and looking up at Davious with a reknown look of determination, they continued to climb. 35, 40, 45, 50, 60, they had reached the 70th floor and they were still going, their equipment still not failing them. As they reached the 80th floor, they could see the edge of the dome ahead of them, and they felt how close they were to being done with this mission. Davious had then turned completely around, so that his chest was facing out from the building and that his back was on the window. He then beckoned for Sly to do the same, and uon doing so, they saw they whole city for the first time. The looked out and could see the reactor, for off in the distance on the edge of town. Looking over toward the arcades and shops, they could see many lights flashing and dimming, and looking over toward the houseing districts, they saw lights go out as many people were going to bed._

**_"Whow. What I wouldn't do for a view like this more often. Have you ever seen something as beautiful Davious?" _**_Sly asked, looking up at his cousin as he laid perched on the window._

**_"Hmph, you forget, I'm the guy who not only owns the top floor of the Empire-State Building, but the building itself. Yes, I have seen something as beautiful as this, probably even greater, but she is far away." _**_Davious said, looking incredibly surprised by what he just said._

**_"She?" _**_Sly asked, looking very curious about this 'she' Davious spoke of._

**_"...That's a story for another day." _**_Davious replied before turning and continuing to climb the building. Sly, abit surprised by his reaction, then turned and followed him up the building._

* * *

_They had finally reached the 99th floor, and peaking in through the window, had climbing up to the top of the dome, the 100th floor, could indeed see a generator inside. Removing their hoods so they were visible again, Davious then pulled out a laser cutter and made an entrance into the dome from the top. Dropping down a rope, he the slid down and looked up and gave Sly the all clear before he too came down. Looking about, they could see many wires and plugs around the room, all of which looked unused and dusty from years of inactivity. Walking over to one of the wires, Davious bent down and looked at the plug for it, and scanning for the right outlet it goes too, found it at a corner of the room. Dragging it over, he plugged the cord in and the room was suddenly lit with light! Now that they could see, Sly and Davious then looked at the generatorfor any plugs that they could put one of the plugs in. Walking around, Sly found one behind the generator, as well as a massive cord that looked like it go to it. Beckoning Davious over, the two then lifted up the cord and rammed it in the giant generator, and it suddenly sparked to life._

**_"Thank goodness that's done." Sly said, dustying off his hands as he said so. "Although you would have though there would be-" _**_WRRRRRRRRRR! **"-security." **_

_Suddenly turrets had popped out of the floor, and thinking fast, the pair then darted for the hole they made in the roof of the dome. Climbing as fast as they were trained, the pair then jumped out of the hole as the bullets were fired. Sliding down the dome to the edge of the roof, they found they had nowhere to go._

**_"Um, do these things fly Davious?" _**_Sly asked, looking over to his cousin as if they really did._

**_"No. But they can do this." _**_Davious then stood at attention like he was a soldier, and Sly saw some kind of fiber being stretched from underneath his arm down to his leg. Doing the same, Sly then realized that these were also glide suits, and together, they then jumped off the side, right as the guns opend fire upon them through the glass._

* * *

_For what felt like thirty minutes, the pair had dodged, flied, and turned in the air as the flew down from the tower, each having as much fun as the other. As they neared the ground, Davious spotted a nice roof they could land on, and showing Sly where it was, they came down and landed with a silent thud._

**_"Holy Cow!" _**_Sly said as they landed, not trying to contain the excitement in his voice after what he just did. **"That was one of the most intense things I've ever done! Are you always doing stuff like this?" **He asked, looking at Davious as he began to remove his suit and gloves._

_Davious pondered the question, before he finally answered Sly. **"For the most part, yes, but sometimes, I do things that tend to come off...dangerous." **He said as he finished tearing off th suit and dumping it on the roof._

**_"Dangerous? What could have been more dangerous than doing something like that?" _**_Sly asked his cousin, he starting to take off his suit too._

**_"Haha, perhaps one day you'll know. Hey, what was your goal in that climb, what made you keep going after you faltered?" _**_Davious asked, looking at Sly with the greatest of intrigue._

_Sly now pondered this question, before he finally answered. **"My friends. I didn't want to lose them, for them to know that I had...you know, fallen from a building. I didn't want them to be left to fend for themselves in this war you have us in. And I didn't want to have the only family member I have left, the only one that shares my pain, my secret, to be the only one that saw his family die before his very eyes." **Sly finished, looking up at davious as he stood there folding up his suit, a look of surprise, and emotion, on his face._

_For what felt like hours, their was silence between the two, before finally, Davious then stashed his suit away, and walked over to where his cousin stood. Placing a comforting arm on Sly's shoulder, he then told Sly what he had been thinking for a decade. **"I always thought, when the time came when you and I would work together, that history would repeat itself, that we wouldn't be friends, not even family, but as enemies, bound to each other since the day we met. I always believed that when at last you knew the truth, that your 'big cuz' was alive and had been in hiding all these years, that you would be angry, so angry that you would forget that night we met. But, I forgot that no matter what, you and I would always be family, and that I should always look out for you, as my family has done for eons to yours." **He finished, before letting go of Sly, shocked by this information, and leaving the roof, leaving Sly all alone to ponder this new thought._

_"As my family has done for eons to yours."_

* * *

_So, was the wait worth it? _:)


	22. Chapter 21

_**Part 1: Frenzy On The Web!**_

_**Chapter 21: Operation: Arcade Charade!**_

_When Sly and Davious returned, they found the gang waiting for them impatiently, and apparently with worry. Seeing Sly come in, laughing with Davious over some joke he had told, Carmelita become a bit furious, and walking up to the Ringtail, was about to give him a good punch to the shoulder when Bentley had cut in to discuss the plan. While everyone was getting settled in, Carmelita and Murray had talked about how easily they found the Generator in the housing district, buried in a secret basement underneath Miller's old home here. Once they were settled in, Bentley then began discussing the plan._

* * *

_Thanks to Sam's help, the gang had rewired the generators to be linked, and now they can begin the Operation: Arcade Charade! Once the city had been shut down from power, Murray will need to distract the guards by stirring the crowd and citizens into a panic. Then, when enough soldiers are forced out of the reactor, Bentley will then short circuit the SnipersEye helmets, causing the guards on the roof to suddenly go completely blind. While they are trying to get their eyes straight, Carmelita will then used her pistol to knock them out before they can avert the men inside the reactor. Once done, Sly and Davious will then rush to the reactor and take care of the remaining guards, being careful not to avert any more attention. Once security is finished, and everyone is freaking out in the streets, the gang can then walk inside and put an end to Miller's gang. Upon finishing, Murray then asked exactly what he should do to cause the crowd to panic. Davious, in a joking way, said that screaming will do the trick._

* * *

_As everyone got to their places, Murray had waited outside the arcade for Sam to shut the power to the generators. Calling Sam and letting the gang know he was ready, Murray waited. And waited. And waited. And waited. Finally, when he thought something had gone wrong, the arcade and everything around it suddenly shut down, and looking up to the sky, Murray saw the lights from the city grow dimmer, and dimmer, and dimmer until the only light available was that from the stars and the crescent moon. Using his hearing, Murray could hear some people whispering, most just thinking that it was some kind of malfunction in power, but he could hear others thinking it was a disaster. Looking around, he could see some people were starting to get worried, some shaking from the fear of not having power, others huddling into groups, trying to see who has the better battery or signal so they could find out whats going on. All that changed when suddenly a loud, high-pitched scream filled the ear, many people looking about frantically for whats happening. Suddenly people felt something big begin running past them, bumping into to them and, occasionally, causing them to stumble back as something had moved through the crowd. Chaos had suddenly filled the streets, and as everyone began running about, screaming in their own paranoia, a large pink hippo had darted into an alley and smiled of a job well done._

* * *

_As the roar of the panicking citizens began to echo and fill the city, Bentley and Carmelita had waited on a rooftop overlooking the reactor. As the two stood there waiting for something to happen, they saw many of the guards on the ground leave the base and head out to the city, most likely heading out to calm the distressed citizens. Carmelita noticed some of the bigger guards were left behind and were forming a perimeter around the entrance to the reactor. Carmelita, looking a bit worried about this, quickly dismissed it as she looked over at Bentley who had been on his computer._

**_"Your sure that this is only a distraction?" _**_Carmelita asked the turtle as he was typing furiously on his keyboard to find the code to the helmets. **"That it was just the lights and radio towers that you put out in the city, not everything in it."**_

_**"Carmelita, although I can understand your concern, I can absolutely say that we only stopped the lights and anything capable receiving a signal." **Bentley said as he with a grin had found his code for the helmets he had looked for. **"Okay, now all I need to do is bypass the firewalls, erase anyway to shut down the flash, and...presto!" **__Looking up at the tower, the two saw flashes of light as the snipers above were blinded by their own equipment. But because they couldn't see, they were starting to stumble around, bumping into each other and getting close to the edge of the reactor. **"Yikes! Carmelita, you need to be quick and knock out those guards before one of them gets really hurt. Here, I've prepared a special shot for you to do the trick." **Bentley then whipped out an ammo pack with something bright green glowing inside it. Handing it to Carmelita, he then pulled out his binocucom to see who he could see near the edge of the reactor._

_**"I'm on it Bentley." **Said Carmelita as she took the pack and loaded it into her gun. Aiming down the site, Carmelita noticed an icon that popped up on her screen of the sight. '_Gas Bolts' _she read, and then aiming at one of the guards one the far right of the reactor, she fired, and a green, orb-like bolt came out and hit the guard right in the chest. To her surprise, Carmelita saw the guard then stop moving, and then collapse into a unconsious state. Slowly, Carmelita began to pick off the guards one by one, four nearly falling off the reactor before she shot them. Bentley called out those that were getting to close, and together the two had knocked each and every one, clearing the roof of anyone that could shoot the gang before they could get in. Zooming out of the scope, Carmelita then lowered her gun to aim at the guards at the entrance._

**_"Whow whow whow Carmelita!" _**_Bentley then said as he wheeled himself to be in front of Carmelita's gun. **"Sly and Davious can take care of those guys."**_

_**"But it would be so much more easier to shoot them. Why not?" **She asked, not taking her sights off the guards._

**_"We don't want The Shadows to know we are here or that were coming. If we take out these guards with your gun, one will surely alert the others and this heist is a bust!" _**_Bentley, said, staying firm in front of the pistol._

_After letting out a depressing sign, Carmelita then turned and began to make her way down the roof, forgetting that they got up here by a large amount of steps, and that Bentley needed help to get down them._

* * *

_Sly and Davious had been leaning on the side of a workshop watching as Carmelita made her way taking care of the snipers on the roof. Davious would sometimes place a bet on who she would hit next, and Sly would also bet on someone else. In the end, their game ended with 4-6, Davious having won four of the times when she shot someone, Sly six. When they saw that she was finished, they then slowly made their way over to the fence lining the reactor's entrance. Hiding behind the entrance post, Davious then peaked his head through the window and counted how many guards were left. Ten, great, no sweat. Looking at Sly, Davious then showed how many guards their were with his hands before getting up and sneaking further into the reactor. They had managed to get behind a set of barrels when the guards weren't looking, and seeing as how five were at the gate and the others were on patrol, they decided to split up to take down the guards. Sly went after the ones patrolling, and Davious the gate ones. After Sly left, Davious then pulled out his cane, silver and black, just as his family had used for eons, and got up and walked his way toward the entrance. Since it was still dark, the guards couldn't see him before he was only a meter in front of them, and by then it was too late. The first guard in front tried to grab him, but Davious twirled his cane, smacking the guards hands as he did so, and slammed it down upon his head with the cane. As two more guards charged, Davious then charged up his cane, and two their surprise, delivered a fire-charged blow with his staff, burning them as they came too close and finishing them with a quick swipe to both their heads. As the last two guards lay shocked, Davious then ready his staff like he was charging it again, and the two then ran from there, before they ran into Murray, who simply held out his arms as the two ran into them, smacking their necks against his arms, knocking them out. As Davious stood there smiling at his friend, he heard a someone walking up behind Murray and was surprised to see Carmelita and Bentley._

**_"Um, wasn't the plan to wait for me and Sly to take care of all the guards before you guys come in?" _**_Davious, asked, looking the crew up and down like he was expecting them to disappear. Just then, Sly had run up from behind the barrels they had hidden behind, and seeing that he was a bit sweaty, Davious then proceeded to ask his question. **"What happened to you?"**_

_**"Yeah, you know those guards patrolling? Apparently, they were armed with some form of a shotgun." **Sly replied, taking a moment to catch his breath. **"Next time, I pick who takes down what guards."**_

_With the gang gathered, the group then looked toward the entrance, and hearing the wind echo through the halls, ever slowly made their descent into the reactor._


	23. Chapter 22

The chapter is currently being written. It will be up soon. This is only something I use to export it over to the Doc Manager. Stay tuned for the next chapter to the story. And remember, reviews are always welcome. :)


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